


Shattering Timelines

by UnhallowedDei



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Drama & Romance, F/F, Fluff, Friendship, Power Development, Slow Burn, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-01
Updated: 2018-06-10
Packaged: 2019-02-09 03:33:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 106,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12879309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnhallowedDei/pseuds/UnhallowedDei
Summary: What if your best friend persuaded you to go back and change something that could change the dynamics of your own relationship with them, could you do it? Max tried to do just that because for Chloe Price, Max would change the world. -Spoilers for Before the Storm-





	1. Shattering the Timeline

 

* * *

 

"Hello?"

"Hi Chloe… it's Max."

"Max?! Oh my god! Rachel turn the music down! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. How… how are you?"

"I'm good. You never text me back."

"I am so sorry Chloe, it's just been crazy. I may be coming back to Arcadia Bay, if they accept my application."

"Oh? That's cool."

"If I get in, would you like to get together and catch up?"

"Fuck yeah! Just give me a call when you get here!"

"You won't leave without me, will you?"

"How did you know-"

"Just a guess. I'll see you soon!"

"Too right you will."

* * *

She snapped back to the present, two weeks after she allowed the destruction of Arcadia Bay to save Chloe's life. A choice she knew she would always make. She was aware of the morning light streaming in through her open bedroom window. At first the familiarity of the room didn't concern her, then she froze, she was certain she'd done everything right, there was no way she'd got it so wrong. The room was exactly as she'd left it only minutes ago, the same bird song drifting in from outside, their clothes thrown over the back of her desk chair. They were still in her parent's house in Seattle, nothing had changed. She lay back down on the bed with a thump, aware of Chloe's body on her right.

"I'm sorry Chloe, I tried."

"Wuh huh?" Chloe muttered, rolling over to put an arm over Max. She admired the blue haired beauty for a moment, the regret building inside her to an intolerable level.

"I tried to fix it, something must have gone wrong."

"Fix what?" A third voice said from the floor at the bottom of the bed.

Max sat up suddenly, aware of the hazel eyes staring at her from over the edge of the covers.

"Holy shit…" Max said, taking in the features of Rachel Amber who was now standing up to stretch in just her underwear and vest top. Her blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, the blue feather earring in her left ear just like the picture Chloe had shown her. Rachel Fucking Amber was alive and well, in Max's bedroom.

"What's got into you?" Rachel asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I… what?"

"Oh shit, is this the Main Mad Max?" Rachel said, poking Chloe's exposed bare foot. Chloe reacted with a slapping motion towards the cause of the irritation.

"Wah?" Chloe said, looking up through half closed eyes.

"The Main Max, I think she's back." Rachel said, sitting on the end of the bed.

"How do you know about that?" Max asked tentatively, pulling the covers up over her own vest top, very aware of her state of undress before Chloe's beautiful best friend.

"Oh please, Chloe and I have been watching you rewind and manipulate time for the last three weeks. It's hella awesome!"

"Oh." Max said, looking at Chloe who was now looking at her with concern in her eyes.

"You okay?" Chloe asked, taking hold of one of Max's hands.

"Disorientated." Max admitted. "I don't know what's happened over the last 7 months."

"Mad Max is back. I told you." Rachel said, scooching up the bed to sit in front of Max. "What is the last thing you remember?"

"Making an anonymous tip to get Jefferson arrested… and asking you to meet me when I started at Blackwell." Max said to Chloe.

"That was months ago!" Chloe said. "So you did one of your selfie jumps?"

"Yeah. You know about those too?"

"Sweetie, we've been your partners in time for three weeks, your shit is our shit." Rachel said, taking Max's other hand, though not with the same grip as Chloe.

"What did you change?" Chloe asked with a big grin on her face. "Come on! You have to tell us."

"I saved your life." Max admitted to Rachel.

"Mine?" Rachel recoiled slightly.

"You really want to know?"

"You told me all about my other self, I'm sure Rachel would love to know what peril you saved her from!" Chloe wasn't letting it go.

"Go on. Tell us. Therapy time." Rachel said cautiously.

Max sighed and told them everything about her previous three weeks, from saving Chloe in the bathroom to making the choice at the lighthouse before the tornado, and finally her choice to return to the past in an attempt to save Rachel from her previous fate. She left pieces out, like searching Frank's RV or the topic of her feelings for Chloe, something she felt she had to bury now. Rachel Amber would have Chloe's heart, and she'd be the third wheel.

"Well that explains Nathan getting arrested." Rachel said. "But Jefferson? I'd never have suspected, he was cool, he was handsome, he…" She went quiet. Chloe was looking at her strangely, Max was glad she hadn't mentioned the crumpled up note she had found in the other timeline, she had no idea if it even existed now.

"So Nathan drugged Rachel at a Vortex party, and killed her?" Chloe asked, confirming what she'd heard.

"With a drug overdose, Jefferson helped cover it up." Max said with a sigh.

"In this Dark room place?"

"Yes. And two weeks ago Jefferson killed you when…" Max swallowed hard, saying all this in front of Rachel was difficult enough, but the look on the blonde's face was heart wrenching. "When we found Rachel's body. Then he drugged me and kept me in that fucking place too. I did everything to escape, selfie jumps, rewinds, over and over trying to get out and when I did I had to find a way to save you too!" Chloe squeezed her hand.

"But we're all here now, Rachel and me. You saved us both, you're a damn hero!" Chloe pulled her into a tight hug. "You're awesome Max."

Rachel looked as though she was trying to come to terms with her previous fate, staring down at a single spot on the bed. Her stare had a deep intensity, it was starting to freak Max out when she looked up, smiled wide and joined in the hug.

"Thank you Max. Without you I wouldn't be here. Without you I'd be in a hole somewhere." Unexpectedly, Rachel planted a large kiss on Max's cheek.

"Hey now." Chloe said with a smirk. "This Max is mine."

"You may have competition Price." Rachel retorted with a grin.

"If you two are done playing tug of war, with me in the middle, could you tell me what I've missed?" Max said weakly from between the crush of the two girls on her smaller frame.

"Of course." Rachel said, sitting back. Though Chloe didn't let Max go. "I guess we should start when you arrived at Blackwell?"

"That might help."

"I suppose I should start?" Rachel asked Chloe.

"You got to see her first." Said Chloe.

"Only because I knew exactly who I was looking for what with all those Chloe calming sessions after she called."

"Calming sessions?" Max looked at Chloe, concern clearly etched on her features.

"Nothing to worry about. I was nervous to see you again, kept freaking out. Rachel was an excellent therapist though."

"Freaking out? I still remember one night." Rachel put on her best impression of Chloe. "Oh God, what if she looks at me and decides she doesn't like what she sees? What will I do then Rach?" Chloe aimed a soft kick at Rachel, glancing her crossed legs, Rachel laughed. "So, your first day at Blackwell, I was the one who showed you to your Dorm room. You were absolutely oblivious to who I was, didn't know my name. But when I name dropped Chloe your demeanor changed entirely. This shy little girl went all nervous and wary, asking me all kinds of questions of how Chloe was, how often I see her, whether Chloe still wants to meet. You were adorable. But I kept you close that day, knowing Chloe would freak if I didn't at least look after you."

"Other-Max wouldn't have remembered…" Max started to say.

"We know, it's okay. Especially after what happened with the photograph into your past when you tried to save William."

"I still did that? Why?"

"Getting a bit ahead of us here. Would you prefer to ask questions or get the story?" Chloe said, a sad look in her eyes.

"Story."

"Then hush up questioning Max!" Rachel said with a playful tap on the leg. "Where was I? Oh! First day. When class that day was over I almost had to drag you out to the parking lot to see Chloe. You were almost as bad as she was, but like a good friend I persuaded you to do it or you'd probably regret it."

"Did it go okay?" Max asked, followed by a wide grin from Rachel.

"Let's just say you didn't really use your Dorm much in the first month." Chloe said with a snigger. "You'd finish class, come out with Rachel and we'd all take off to chill. We'd stay at either my house or Rachel's, then in the morning I'd drive you both back to school. Like clockwork."

"Yeah, we didn't spend any time apart. Chloe was absolutely alive, like I'd never seen her before. And you were turning into my own personal photographer, you always knew the best way to capture me when I posed."

"Then in October things got… weird." Said Chloe

"Weird how? What did I do?" Max tried to move away, but Chloe gripped her tighter.

"It wasn't your fault!" Rachel said, placing a reassuring hand on Max's leg. "On the 7th of October you had an episode in class, your nose started bleeding so I got you out of there to the bathroom. I tried consoling you but you'd only talk to Chloe." Rachel looked a little hurt, even after all this time.

"That's where I take over." Chloe said proudly. "Rachel brought you out of the school looking pale and rough, so we bundled you into my truck and quickly made haste to the Junkyard. The entire way Rachel held you tight while I drove, she was really worried about you and it was starting to worry me. When we were getting out you asked me to wait. Rachel understood and left you with me."

Max looked at Rachel, who only smiled reassuringly at her. "We have since talked about it, I already know what was said in the truck."

"You'd had some kind of vision of a giant tornado wiping out Arcadia Bay. Obviously we thought it was a dream, like you'd fallen asleep or blacked out. I suggested you got some Junkyard air, so we got out and started walking to the tracks when Rachel joined us. You were starting to talk a bit more, loosening up, when you stopped behind us before we even reached the tracks. You grabbed me in a tight hug, and pulled Rachel in too… jabbering on about a train hitting us. I mean, obviously we didn't believe you at first, we thought you were having a panic attack. We sat you down in the hideout, we tried to comfort you, but you kept going on about it, as though you'd lived it, describing really intricate details." Chloe went quiet for a moment, so Rachel picked up the story.

"You said you'd rewound time, like traveled back along it. Then you proved it. You told us the next five things to happen, in order, with detail. Chloe was shocked, I was freaked out. I tried to disprove it, giving rational thought to how you knew it. So then… you did it again. You told me exactly what I was going to say next, word for word. You even told me things I'd only told Chloe, that we'd never discussed with you."

"It was awesome." Chloe whispered into Max's ear. Then continued a little more loudly so Rachel could hear. "We stayed at the Junkyard, trying to make sense of your tornado vision. It was only when it started snowing…"

"That we believed you could be right about that too."

Both of the girls went quiet for a moment, possibly considering what to say next or how to say it. Max sat patiently, waiting. Her mind was still racing about everything she wanted to ask, everything she wanted to say but Rachel's presence had put a block on her voice. So far Rachel had appeared genuine and nice, but what time they'd spent together over the last month was only from Rachel's perspective now. Max had no idea how to open up to who she thought was a complete stranger.

"We should eat." Rachel said, springing up off the bed. "I'll get us something." She pulled on her leggings and quickly left the bedroom, casting a sideways glance at Chloe who didn't seem to notice. She'd let go of Max to lean over the edge of the bed to grab her pack of cigarettes and lighter.

"Is she okay?" Max asked as she rearranged her pillows behind her head while Chloe enjoyed her cigarette.

"We apparently had a few close calls last week, saved by the Max in Shining Armour, so she knows you're not making it up. But… I don't know. A timeline where she died? Could mess with anybody." Chloe said, taking a drag.

"Should I go and check on her?"

"Sure, the story can wait. I'm just going to… enjoy this." Chloe said, leaning back with a look of contentment on her features.

Max threw back the covers, retrieved her jeans and followed the blonde. Rachel was leaning against the kitchen counter when Max caught up, the same look of deep thought in her hazel eyes.

"Hey Rachel, are you okay?" She asked timidly.

"Huh?" Rachel looked up, broken from her thoughts. "Yeah I'm fine. A lot has happened lately."

"Tell me about it."

"So I have to ask, if there was a timeline where I died, but you still met up with Chloe, why did you risk changing everything for me?" Max cringed inwardly, she should have expected this question.

"Well…"

"Don't lie to me Max."

"Chloe begged me to try, she said if we picked the perfect time and the right way everything should be fine, especially if I told her I'd be going to Arcadia Bay."

"Yeah… she waited for you. We were supposed to have gone to LA months ago but after that call, Chloe wouldn't go, not until she'd seen you."

"I'm sorry Rachel."

"Why? We're in Seattle now right? I finally got out of Arcadia Bay!"

"I just… I know how much you wanted to leave that town, what you did to try to get away."

"How? You're alternate future Max, I haven't told you any of this."

"Chloe and I, we were investigating your disappearance in that timeline and I asked around, a lot. Even found your pictures in Frank's RV." Something passed over Rachel's features, fear? Shock? Max couldn't tell, but the girls attitude seemed to change in an instant.

"You know about… that?" Rachel said, not putting a title to their relationship.

"He helped us in the end, because of you."

"Yeah, he would." Rachel had started hugging herself, just like Chloe had done in the past when she was struggling. They were so alike in their own way. Max wondered how she now fit into their relationship. "Look, Chloe doesn't know, neither of you found out about Frank and I. Please don't tell her, please."

Max nodded uncomfortably. She didn't want to start lying to Chloe, but she didn't want to do something that could ultimately lead to her losing Rachel all over again.

"Thank you. It was over anyway, I haven't seen him in weeks and I don't want to see him again." Max didn't know what to say, instead choosing to help find some snacks out of the cupboards. Rachel said nothing more, instead helping to carry what food they wanted up from the kitchen to Max's room, where Chloe was still in bed, enjoying her cigarette.

"Took you both long enough! I was starting to wonder what you were up to." She said, sitting up as Rachel threw a bag of cookies to her.

"Girl talk." Rachel said with a smile. They dropped their sugary goods on the bottom of the bed, took what they fancied and assumed their previous seating positions. Chloe gave Max a gentle nudge as she got back into bed.

"So where were we?" Rachel said between mouthfuls.

"Monday night, snowfall." Max said, well aware the eclipse happened the next day.

"Nothing else really happened that night. I mean, what else could we do? We were all still processing the fact one of our friends was now a Time Traveler!" Rachel said enthusiastically. "So we hauled ass back to Chloe's, stuck on some shit film…"

"Ahem… Blade Runner is not shit." Chloe said.

"And chilled the night away." Rachel finished, ignoring Chloe.

"I think I need more of a break." Max said suddenly.

"You okay?" Chloe asked, putting down her food. "We've only just got back to it."

"My mind is just racing at a million miles an hour and I want to ask questions because I want the answers, but I don't at the same time."

"Well how about you ask us some questions and put your mind at ease?" Rachel offered. "You've saved our butts enough times these last three weeks, we're not going anywhere now. The whole story can wait."

"What happened to the Bay?" Max asked straight away. "Did I have to make the choice again?"

"Us or the Bay…" Chloe said solemnly. "Yeah, you had to decide between letting that train hit us or sacrificing the bay. At least that was our theory at the time, probably wrong after what you've told us. You could have gone back, let us die and still had to face that fucking thing alone."

"From what you've told us though Max, without you neither of us would be here. We couldn't let you carry that weight alone, we wouldn't." Rachel added. "We all made a promise by the lighthouse to stay together, come what may, whatever you decided."

"I could never let Chloe go, originally." Max said.

"And I'm so grateful that you would sacrifice a town for me" Said Chloe. "For us." She added, seeing a wounded look in Rachel's eyes. She wrapped her arms around Max again and squeezed her tight. "I'm so glad to have my two best friends"

"Alright love birds, break it up." Rachel said.

"Love birds?" Said Max, wondering if it was just a joke or something else.

"I'm going to give you both time for this one." Grinned Rachel. "Who knows how you felt in the other timeline." Rachel got up and once again left the room. They heard the bathroom door close from across the hall.

"Love birds?" Max asked again, looking Chloe in the eyes, trying to glean something from the beautiful blue eyes she'd spent the last two weeks gazing into.

"I'll kill her." Chloe said, almost as a whisper.

"Chloe."

"We played a game of truth and dare a while ago, Rachel's idea because she wanted to know more about you. It was either that or two truths and a lie, but I know you Max Caulfield, you couldn't lie to save your life." Max smiled at how well Chloe knew her.

"You're right, I'd be apologising after I said it."

"Well Rachel had been sipping on wine all night and decided to up the stakes. She went from doing silly little things to…" Chloe was turning red, it was kind of cute to see. "She dared you to kiss me. I thought you'd take the forfeit, but nope, you were straight in. Rachel was grinning like she'd won a bet or something." Now it was Max who turned red in the cheeks. "Our relationship had somehow changed because… look this is really weird to say because I don't know how you feel, but I know how I feel and…"

Max decided then and there to help Chloe understand how she felt. She leaned in closer, inhaling the blunette's scent, aware of her fear jumping up and down in the back of her mind but resolved to show this beautiful girl how she felt once more. The soft kiss sent sparks through her nerves, her heart was alight with the love she felt, her fear was gone as the beauty kissed her back, as though Chloe had been wanting this kiss as much as Max. They parted slowly, a smile on each of their faces.

"Does that explain it?" Max asked softly.

"Perfectly."

"What about you and Rachel?"

"We're friends and I love her, but it's nothing like how I feel for you. I thought it was but… nobody is you Max." Chloe placed her forehead against Max's, a gentle yet reassuring pressure.

"I'm glad to hear it." She tilted her head back to plant another loving kiss on Chloe's lips. As they parted, Max was taking in the blue of Chloe's eyes when a thought intruded on the peace. She had to ask. "How did you two know I'd used the selfie this time? Rachel was calling me Main Max." Chloe bit her bottom lip, suppressing a smirk that was forming on her face.

"You're not the only snooper Max, I have my own history of poking around." She put a hand under her pillow and pulled out a small note with a selfie attached. "I found this in your desk drawer. Care to explain?"

Max took the note and knew exactly what it was. As she'd made the phonecall to Chloe she'd jotted down a small note to herself and attached the selfie, an emergency selfie in case their plan totally backfired, a way to fix the timeline if she broke it. "I wrote it in case I fucked it all up." She said quietly. "And I dated it in case another version of me found it first, so they'd know how long until I snapped back."

"Which you did, because you wrote some stuff in your journal." Chloe said, indicating the closed book on the desk.

"Have either of you read it?"

"No. We respect your privacy too much to do that to you."

"Think it could wait?" Max asked, not really in the mood to get a lecture or something from another Max.

"We're not going anywhere, not yet."

"Yet?"

"Well we were all discussing it before..." Chloe quickly went quiet. "I'm sorry, I guess we haven't all discussed anything."

"Just tell me what plan we'd come up with Chloe." The door opened as Rachel quietly tried to peak in, probably hoping they weren't still kissing.

"Glad I didn't walk in on you two again." Rachel said, the door snapping to behind her.

"Does that happen often?" Max asked, looking between the two girls.

"Once or twice, or six. I have bad timing." Rachel grinned. "It's not like you two look bad kissing, I just feel awkward in ruining your moment."

"The plan." Chloe said, returning to the conversation despite her cheeks turning red again. "Was to go on a road trip, the three of us. Your parents are concerned after the Arcadia Bay tornado but... they're not totally against it." Chloe was smiling with a puppy dog look to her features, Rachel too. They were ganging up on her! They wanted her to agree without thinking it through. She couldn't resist Chloe and a road trip would certainly give her time to think and get the rest of the story out of them. Plus she could take photos of the beautiful Rachel Amber.

"Let's do it!" She replied with a smile to match theirs.


	2. Time Confusion

 

 

 

 

 

 

Despite the agreement to go on a road trip, Max still had many questions buzzing around her head. She'd taken to tracing Chloe's tattoo with her index finger, admiring the reds and greens that brought it to life, while trying to pin down a question to ask. She couldn't filter them out of the noise, one question would lead into another and another and she had no idea where to start. Like a mental buzzing locked in her mind.

"Something on your mind Max?" Said Chloe, brushing a strand of blue hair out of her eyes.

"Did your Mom get out okay?" She finally asked, looking into Chloe's eyes for any sign of hurt.

"She's fine. So's step-douche. Last I heard they were helping to rebuild."

"What about Kate?" She couldn't believe she hadn't asked about Kate sooner.

"Who?" Rachel asked.

"Kate Marsh? She was in our class."

"There wasn't a Kate in our class. I remember you mentioning her but figured it could be a timeline thing." Rachel said.

"I guess if she wasn't in the Bay she might be safe."

Chloe leaned in closer to Max and gave her a swift kiss, taking her by surprise but returning it all the same. They smiled at each other as they broke apart.

"Max, whatever you did has possibly saved more lives. You can't start beating yourself up over what ifs." Chloe said gently.

"I'm trying to understand the timeline I'm in now." Max said. "I'd hate another surprise like..."

"Finding me in a wheelchair." Chloe finished for her. Max nodded as she instinctively cuddled in closer to Chloe. It felt so natural and awesome, and Chloe was such a welcoming warmth against her body. She felt another body press against her back, Rachel had joined in the hug.

"I've just realised." Rachel said quietly. "If you've changed timelines to save me, we've never met before today from your perspective, right?"

"Pretty much." Max confirmed, moving away from Chloe slightly to speak without sounding muffled.

"Wow that must suck for you."

"Me? I feel bad for you, like you've lost a friend."

"You're still here, we'll just get to do the fun stuff all over again!" Rachel sat up to smile down at them. "Oh, we can play another game of Truth or Dare, or even Two truths or..."

"Woah slow down." Said Chloe. "Last time you got so drunk you went to class hungover."

"Yeah, but we don't have school anymore, and this Max is a slightly different Max. It'll be fun."

"Maybe later, if Max is in the mood."

"But no cheating." Rachel ran a hand through Max's messy hair. "You can't rewind us over and over to see what you can get us to do."

"I hadn't even thought about that." Max admitted, though the thought was tempting. "I haven't actually tested my powers since I snapped back." She realised.

"You haven't tried rewinding anything?" Rachel asked with raised eyebrows. "Well..." a mischevious grin passed over Rachel's face. "I have an idea. Max, if you would kindly sit up."

"Okay?" Max said, Chloe released Max from their embrace so she could sit up as requested.

"Ready to rewind Super Max?" Rachel asked, repositioning herself infront of the time travelling brunette.

"I guess." Max's stomach knotted, she didn't like where this seemed to be going. Rachel leaned in towards her, that mischevious grin spreading to her hazel eyes before she closed them and engaged Max in a long passionate kiss. Max seemed to be returning the kiss without pause, confusing her swiss cheesed mind. What was going on? It shouldn't have been this easy to kiss a stranger, especially infront of Chloe. She was lost in the kiss that shouldn't be happening, feeling Chloe's eyes on her, expecting her to rewind this away. With considerable willpower Max finally tapped into her abilities to undo the confusing kiss. She was annoyed with herself that she'd let it go so far, as soon as Rachel leaned in she should have rewound, to save herself from having that memory.

"Ready to rewind Super Max?" Rachel asked, repositioning herself infront of the time travelling brunette.

"I just did." Max answered, some of the confusion and annoyance lacing her words, though the others didn't seem to notice.

"Awesome!" Chloe said, pulling Max back down into a hug. "Time Max can still travel."

Rachel was smiling happily at Max, as though she knew what Max had experienced before rewinding and was glad to leave that mark on her. A mark that Max was certain Rachel had also left on Chloe at some point in their history. The thought stoked a jealous beast deep in Max's heart. Trying not to feed the beast she decided to ask another question.

"Why did we come here after Arcadia Bay?"

"We came to stop your parents worrying about you." Chloe answered first. "Your phone was off the hook with texts and calls, demanding to know where you were, how you were, who you were with. We figured it would be easier to just visit and stop them worrying."

"Which is also when we found your note and selfie." Rachel added. "You've shown her the selfie right?"

"Yep, while you were giving us a moment."

"Good. Yeah, we found your note and selfie not long after we got here. Other-Max asked us to stay a couple of weeks so when you snapped back you would be in a familiar place, rather than the middle of some conversation with a stranger in LA or something."

"We've been here for two weeks, and you haven't been bored?" Max asked feeling a little guilty. It had taken Chloe a week to persuade her to do the selfie jump, then another week getting information out of David to get it right. Time that had cost them in this timeline, waiting for another Max to take the place of the one they'd got to know.

"We've not stayed in the house like today." Rachel said, patting Max's knee again. "We've been exploring Seattle, taking in the sights like proper tourists. It's been great!"

"And I've been with you the whole time." Chloe added with a soft smile.

"Of course she has, why do you think I've been sleeping on an air bed while she gets to cozy up to the time traveler?" Max couldn't stop herself letting out a small laugh.

"Thank you, both of you." Max said with a smile.

"You have got to stop thanking us so much." Rachel said, standing up and moving over to lean by the window, the breeze catching her blonde hair and blue feather earring. "Who would we be if we didn't take care of each other?"

"Speaking of taking care of each other, we should go and get a proper meal." Said Chloe, checking the time on her phone. "Almost 4pm."

"Feels later." Max said.

"I bet it would for a time traveler." Rachel said, tapping a beat on her legs. "So what shall we have tonight? I'm paying."

"Chinese!" Chloe almost yelled, kicking off the covers to get dressed. Rachel threw a pair of ripped jeans to the half dressed blunette.

"Sounds good to me." Max agreed.

* * *

Once properly attired for the real world the girls had left the warm comfort of Max's home behind and were soon heading into the city to get a meal. Max had made sure to pack her camera in her bag and had it tight across her chest. Chloe was behind the wheel of her beloved truck, concentrating on the road ahead while Rachel recalled and recited small memories of their time together over the last month. The blonde had a brilliant way with words, describing things with vivid details, pausing at the right moments to build the tension in her story. It was like they'd known each other for years. Rachel even filled her in on some of her and Chloe's escapades over the years, primarily how they'd become such close friends. It was sad to hear once more how much Chloe had suffered while Max had been away, though the blue haired beauty showed no signs of that suffering as she sat beside them, adding pieces to the story that Rachel missed. Max was so happy Chloe had somebody there for her in the end, somebody she could now even share with Max as she'd always mentioned in the original timeline.

"So you were in a play." Max said, sliding slightly closer to Chloe as the truck turned right.

"Not exactly by choice. I was coerced." She replied, shooting a glance at Rachel.

"Yeah right. You loved it Chloe Price, you told me so yourself. What were your words exactly? 'Is it always like this?' You loved every minute." Rachel said, leaning against the door to get a better view of her two friends. "And you were really good! You remembered your lines and everything."

"Even when you ad libbed the ending." Chloe smiled. "Yes Max, Rachel decided to ad lib at the end of the scene and completely confused me."

"But we got a standing ovation. And the audience even got involved."

"What did you say?" Max asked Rachel.

"I can't remember all of it, I was so lost in the moment. What I do remember..." Rachel let a smile spread across her lips. "I remember offering to take her beyond the Bay, to places unseen."

"And you obviously had to respond?" Max said, a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Somebody in the audience shouted out, telling me to say yes, and I did." Chloe said, giving Max's hands a quick squeeze. "And now I'm beyond the Bay. With both of my best friends. I couldn't ask for more." Max smiled, Rachel had lived up to her promise in the end, something she'd never have achieved if Jefferson and Nathan hadn't been arrested.

Rachel had gone strangely quiet and when Max looked in her direction she noticed the same distant stare out of the windscreen, the one she had when she thought nobody was looking. Max took her camera out of the bag, the one Chloe had gifted to her in the original timeline. She had obviously been given the camera again. She smiled, some things stayed the same at least.

"Hey Rachel, strike a pose." Like a switch was flicked Rachel turned, pulled a mysteriously serious face and stuck her middle finger up at Max. The flash went off, Rachel was already scooting closer to get a look at the picture.

"Come on, how'd it turn out? Have you still got the photographers eye?" Max produced the photo and handed it over without looking at how it turned out, she could let Rachel decide. "Oh I like it. Look Chloe." She passed the photo infront of Max, who had a moment to admire it. She thought it caught the rebellious blonde perfectly, her hazel eyes crystal clear despite the low light. It was one to be proud of.

"Damn Max, still an excellent shot with the polaroid." Chloe admired out of the corner of her eye.

"It helps to have a brilliant model." Max said, throwing a compliment Rachel's way.

"Why thank you. I do dress to impress." Rachel laughed. The truck slowed and pulled up by a chinese restaurant Max had visited with her parents a couple of times in the past.

"Rachel, could you grab us a table? I want to borrow Max for a moment." Chloe said, turning to face the two.

"Of course, don't take too long though! It can get awkward waiting for you two to disengage from liplock." The blonde said, leaving the picture on the dashboard and exiting the truck.

"What's up?" Max said once she saw Rachel disappear into the building.

"Would you tell me what you had to rewind earlier?" Chloe asked. "You once promised me no secrets after a rewind and..."

"That still holds true Chloe, I made that same promise to you in the other timeline too." Max explained, starting to worry about how Chloe may react.

"So what happened?"

"Rachel and I..." She squirmed in her seat, trying to get herself to finish the sentence, which came out barely as a whisper. "We kissed." Chloe didn't seem surprised.

"I'm not mad at you Max, don't look so worried. She's done that before as well, she likes to test your boundries and finds it fun to push. Like an unwritten event." Chloe said with a slow nod. "You don't like her, like that, right?" The question was almost pleading, it almost broke Max's heart.

"Of course not, she took me completely by surprise." Max thought for a moment, then blurted it out. "Have you ever kissed her?" It was Chloe's turn to shift uncomfortably.

"After that play, I was so high on the adrenaline and I felt like I could do anything, and I didn't believe what she was saying and she asked what she could do to convince me and... I... well..."

"You kissed." Max said, trying to understand exactly how that came about.

"It was years ago and..." Before Chloe could finish her sentence Max had leaned in to kiss the girl and shut her up. She didn't need an explanation for the past because Chloe was with her now. "That works..." Chloe said as they broke apart.

"Can you forgive me?" Max asked, her heart felt as though it was hanging over the abyss.

"Nothing to forgive, you undid it and you told me the truth." Chloe said, pulling the brunette sweetly into her arms to kiss her again. The kiss was intoxicating, disconnecting Max from the world to live in the moment, she never wanted it to end. They remained embraced until Chloe's phone pinged repeatedly, forcing them to look down at the device. It was a number of texts from Rachel.

**Rachel:**

_Chloe Price. Put your girlfriend down._

_Get out of the truck._

_Come and eat. I'm starving!_

"I think we'd better go eat." Chloe said with a smirk.

"Yeah, or I could rewind and kiss you again." Max said, smirking in her own mischevious way.

"You could, but I only get to live that once, and I'd like more of those memories with you." Reluctantly they got out of the truck, though not without one last kiss.

Rachel was already surrounded by plates of food when they got into the restaurant, though on closer inspection it was exactly what Max and Chloe would have ordered for themselves. They sat at the table, aware of the know-it-all grin on Rachel's face.

"You two were so busy reacquainting yourselves I figured I'd order your favourites. If you wanted something different you shouldn't have stayed outside for so long." Rachel said between mouthfuls.

"I was just showing Max why she made the right choice." Chloe said, digging into her own meal. Max smiled sheepishly, her face turning red again.

"Look at the poor girl, you keep packing on that PDA and she's going to stay red." Rachel retorted, causing Chloe to guffaw into her meal.

"Maybe I like the PDA?" Max said, showing a bit of confidence for once.

"Good on you Max!" Rachel was smiling brightly. "Maybe you can be the one to tame our blue haired friend."

"I'd never try to tame Chloe. I love her style." Max felt Chloe's arm around her waist and a wet kiss get planted on her cheek.

"Speaking of style." Rachel said, her eyes betraying that mischevious streak she clearly possessed. "Chloe and I both have wonderful tattoos, when is our conservative friend going to join us?"

"Seriously?" Max said, about to take another bite from her chopsticks.

"Of course. The real question is do you want one before or after we leave Seattle?" Max opened and closed her mouth a few times, like a fish out of water, trying to formulate a response. "I'm kidding, you don't have to. But I bet you'd look hella hot with a tat." Rachel glanced to Chloe. "Am I right Chloe?"

"She's hella hot now. But..." Chloe looked at Max with those beautiful blue eyes, melting Max's resistance to the idea of a tattoo. "Yeah, I think she'd look awesome with the right tattoo."

"No pressure then." Max said to laughter from the two girls.

* * *

"Is the plan really to travel across the country in this truck?" Rachel asked as they were leaving the restaurant, all of them comfortably fed.

"What's wrong with my truck?" Chloe stopped, hands on her hips looking at Rachel.

"Well it's a bit of a squeeze with three of us on that bench." Rachel mirrored the stance, though Max thought she could pull it off a little better than Chloe. Once again their similarities were showing through.

"I don't notice." Chloe continued on to open the driver side door.

"Well you wouldn't, we have to give you the space to drive. But Max and I are almost on each other's laps." Max climbed into the truck first, followed by Rachel, who pulled her into a tight cuddle as though to prove the point to Chloe. "See?" Max laughed as Rachel caught her unaware.

"We can't really afford a new ride right now." Chloe said, reversing the truck out of the parking space.

"I know, I guess it's something to work for." Rachel said, releasing Max from her vice like grip.

"How are we paying for the road trip?" Max asked, straightening up her jacket.

"I have my birthday savings, Dad's hush money."

"Hush money?" Max asked, certain there was a story behind it.

"Long story, one for another time." Chloe said, deflecting for Rachel. "I managed to squirrel a little bit away, but it won't get us far."

"What abaout the Blackwell disability fund?" Max said, remembering how they'd taken it when looking for information on Rachel.

"The what?" Said Rachel, eyebrow arched. Max had obviously forgotten to mention their night time ninja raid on Blackwell.

"I guess we didn't go swimming in the Blackwell pool after hours then?"

"Oh we went swimming alright." Chloe said with a grin. "Maybe not the time you remember, but we made the most of a late night dip."

"But we didn't break into Principal Well's office?" Both girls shook their heads. "Huh, I guess there was no reason to. We already knew where Rachel was." Max looked at the blonde beside her, who gave her a big grin.

"Yep, right beside you telling you how awesome your powers are!" Said Rachel, nudging Max in the side.

"I guess I can get at my savings." Max offered. "And my parents might be willing to give us some extra, just to make sure we'll be okay."

"Now you're thinking Max!" Chloe was grinning from ear to ear.

* * *

Convincing her parents wasn't quite as easy as Max thought it would be. Despite Chloe's belief that they weren't totally against it, Max found they were actually entirely against it. While they didn't mind the two extra mouths to feed they'd settled into the understanding that the girls weren't going anywhere until they'd heard from Joyce, Chloe's mother, to send the two girls back to their own parents. After the first failed attempt, rather than admit defeat, Max decided to make use of her rewind powers and try again. She ended up rewinding over and over, trying to make the best argument for why they wanted to go and how they would most definitely by safe, without revealing her abilities to her parents. Unfortunately she ended up giving herself a nosebleed and had to admit defeat, rewinding to before the conversation with her parents so she could try again later. Chloe caught her before the could fall over in the hallway as she finished her last rewind, her nose now bleeding from both nostrils.

"Didn't go well huh?" Chloe said, handing the short girl a tissue to clean her nose.

"They're being really fucking stubborn." She admitted in a whisper as Chloe helped guide her up the stairs towards their bedroom. "Then, just as I thought I had the best approach, my nose starts bleeding." Entering the bedroom they saw Rachel was on the computer looking at art designs, her brow furrowed in concentration.

"That didn't take you long." Rachel said, not looking around.

"Didn't get anywhere, I'll try again tomorrow." Max responded, sitting on the edge of the bed with the tissue to her nose. Chloe hovered over Rachel's shoulder, pointing at the screen.

"I like that one." She said.

"Wouldn't suit her." Said Rachel, who looked round and saw Max holding the bloody tissue. "Oh, that bad huh?"

"I gave it my all, or close enough." Max could feel her eyelids getting heavier, she was exhausted.

"We could just leave when we're ready?" Rachel offered, looking back to the screen.

"And have them blow up her phone again with messages?" Chloe said, shaking her head. "We'd lose our minds in hours if they're harrassing us the whole time. And I'd hate to lie to them after they've kept us fed and warm for two weeks." Max could feel her eyelids starting to close, she lay back on her comfortable mattress, listening to the two girls making plans.

"Good point. Maybe I could get my Dad to help?"

"You really want to call him?" Chloe pointed to something else on the computer. Rachel shook her head.

"Not really, but if it's money we need he is loaded."

"Maybe we could help you talk to your parents tomorrow Max?" Max didn't respond. "Max?" Chloe looked round, the small framed brunette had fallen asleep on the edge of the bed.

* * *

Sometime in the middle of the night Max started to have her nightmares again. Walking through the dormitory hallways of Blackwell or the maze of lockers she had encountered in her living nightmare. Chloe was there again, the bullet hole in her head prominent almost every time she'd make an appearance, the scar of Mark Jefferson. Rachel had started to intrude too, holding Chloe away from Max who was once again tied up in the Dark Room. She fought against the straps that held her secure to the chair, trying to break free and run away from a scene she hoped would never happen.

She woke up as the straps gave way, freeing her from the nightmare. She was lying on her left side in bed, somebody had taken off her jeans and jacket. She tried to take steadying breaths, reminding herself that it was only a dream. Chloe's right arm was tightly wrapped around her small waist. The street lamps cast a soft glow around the room, just enough to sleep by. She felt disconnected again, as though the world she'd woken into wouldn't be the same as the one she'd just been living. She rolled over to face Chloe, to lose herself in the soft features of the girl she was crazy about, only Chloe wasn't asleep. The light reflected softly off Chloe's blue eyes, looking right back into Max's own blue eyes.

"Nightmare?" Chloe whispered. Max nodded. "From the other timeline?" It took Max a moment for the words to settle in. The last few hours hadn't been a dream afterall, Rachel Amber was still alive and well.

"From the Dark Room." She admitted quietly. "Captive and unable to escape."

"You're safe now." Chloe said, pulling Max into her warm and loving embrace. The small girl complied more than willingly, tucking her head below Chloe's chin.

"I'm glad Rachel doesn't have these kinds of memories too." Max said, noting the deep breathing coming from the sleeping girl on the floor at the foot of the bed.

"We really planned it together, so she wouldn't go through that?"

"Together Chloe, which is why we had a back up plan in case it all went to shit. I couldn't lose you again because of meddling with time."

"I had no idea how much you've been through to be here, you've told us but I don't think I could ever fully comprehend it." Chloe kissed the top of her head lovingly. "But I am so proud and glad to have you in my life Max."

"Forever." Max said, feeling the pressure of sleep building behind her eyes once more.

"Forever." Chloe promised.

* * *

A soft hum was slipping into her sleep hazed mind, a beautiful hum that spoke of sorrow and loss. At first she thought it was part of her dream, a wonderful dream, but it didn't fit the theme. There was no reason to be sad when she had Chloe. She weakly opened her eyes, feeling the toll of using her rewinds so extensively the night before. Her head was in Chloe's lap, who was sat up smoking a cigarette in bed again, an arm draped over Max's body as she'd slept. It was Rachel who was humming such a sorrowful tune. Rather than move and disturb such a melody she remained cuddled up to Chloe's body, peacefully aware of how relaxed they all were. No imminent danger, no need to be moving or searching, just time to be themselves in each other's company. Chloe had started running her index finger over Max's exposed arm, making a repeating pattern over her skin.

"Did I oversleep?" She whispered, moving her head slightly to look up at Chloe's face.

"No, we were letting you sleep." Chloe answered, releasing the smoke from her lungs. "Rachel has an idea though. I kind of told her to leave you to rest though, we don't want an exhausted Max."

"What's the idea?" She asked, rubbing her eyes with her free hand.

"Hey Rachel, what's that idea then?" Chloe raised her voice to get Rachel's attention. The humming stopped.

"She's awake?" Rachel said, appearing in Max's view as she sat on the bottom of the bed.

"She's awake." Max said, turning slightly so she had a better view of Rachel's eager face.

"If money is the problem, couldn't you just rewind time after withdrawing your money from the bank? Things in your possession stay with you, right?"

"That would be stealing, or duplicating money, or something." Max said, not keen on such a radical idea before they'd tried her parents again.

"True. Okay. What about placing a bet? You find out the results, rewind, tell us, we win big, legitimately."

"That would probably be considered cheating." Max said with a yawn. "And I'm not comfortable with that."

"But casinos and bookies don't care about being fair, we'd just be stacking the deck in our favour, for a good cause." Rachel reasoned.

"How about we make those ideas our last resorts?" Max said, trying to meet the blonde halfway. "We do what we can to get by and if things get really bad, no fuel and no food bad, we have a plan?"

"Yeah okay." Rachel said, disappointed. "But you'll still have to persuade your parents to let us go, and soon, please. I'd really like to go to LA."

"I'll get them to see reason today. A year to travel, see the country, expand my portfolio. They should buy it if they believe I'll be going back to school or have a job next year." Max explained, having had the time to give it some serious thought through all those rewinds. Despite this she was in no rush to put herself through another round of rewinds if her parents decided to be difficult again, though Rachel appeared to be waiting on her to get on with it. "Let me wake up a little first? I'm really enjoying my cuddle time."

"You two will have loads of time to cuddle when we get to LA!" Rachel said, rolling off the bed and going back to whatever she'd been doing while Max was asleep.

Chloe had managed to stay out of the conversation, absently making the finger patterns on Max's skin. In a strange way the consistency of her touch was soothing, almost hypnotising. She turned her head and nuzzled into Chloe's thigh, in part to scratch her nose. She'd not had such a nice wake up in weeks, not with early morning phone calls to David, deflecting her parents enquiries into their business, meticulously planning their master plan. It was such a nice feeling to wake up and not feel as though something had to be done right away.

"Can I stay like this forever?" Max said, muffled by Chloe's leg.

"Only if you cheat." Chloe whispered.

"Ugh... I'd just end up giving myself another nose bleed."

"And we don't want that." Chloe was smiling, Max could hear it in that wonderful voice. "The sooner you talk to them, the sooner we can start getting ready."

"I suppose." Max said grudgingly, kicking off the covers. "I need some jeans." A pair of jeans landed on her legs, launched towards her by Rachel. "Thanks." Chloe suppressed a laugh.

She dressed quickly and left the two girls to their own devices in her room, already preparing her winning speech for her parents. She needed them to relent, she needed them to accept the three of them would be fine together and no harm would come to them. It was going to be a hard sell after their reactions last night, but she had a plan, and she hoped it wouldn't leave her exhausted. When she entered the living room to talk to her parents she started exactly as she'd intended, reassuring them that they would all be fine, but they wanted to travel together. She explained how she could build up her portfolio for the following year when she could apply at another school or even make a job out of it. She layed on all the reassurances she had thought of the night before. Even pushing her luck and explaining how they might need a little bit of money to make it happen.

It was a hard sell.

An hour and no rewinds later, Max bounded into her room, tackled Chloe who had only just got out of bed and kissed her as deeply and lovingly as she could manage, taking the blunette completely by surprise. Rachel turned at the noise, expecting bad news, but when Max broke the kiss and looked up the smile on her face told them all they needed to know.

"Road. Trip." Max grinned.


	3. Chaos Reigns

After the great news from Max they had spent the rest of the day planning and preparing for the road trip. Deciding which route to take, where they planned to stay, for how long and who would drive which stretch. Chloe was adamant she wanted some time to spend with Max through the journey, which she wouldn't be able to do if she was driving the whole way.

"So we may have a small problem." Rachel said, looking into their three travel bags. The black bag belonged to Rachel, adorned with a number of band badges or stickers. The light blue one was Chloe's, with an equal amount of personalisation. Max's was a plain dark red, with no personalisation at all.

"What problem?" Said Chloe, looking up from the map on the desk.

"We're going to need more clothes, all of us."

"Max too?" Chloe asked.

"All of my good clothes were at Blackwell." Max said, looking in one of her wardrobes.

"We didn't exactly leave with much, and Max's Mom has been really good with washing our things but..." Rachel broke off.

"We need new clothes." Chloe finished.

"Shopping trip?" Rachel's eyes had lit up, a smile on her lips.

In minutes the three of them were loaded into Chloe's truck once more, riding into the city to go clothes shopping. Max wondered how much of her own simple style she'd be able to walk away with when she had Rachel's and Chloe's opinions to listen to as she picked out clothes. Rachel remained lost in her own thoughts for this small trip, though her focused stare was never witnessed by Max. Chloe on the other hand would consistently make small physical gestures, a squeeze of Max's hands or a tap on her left leg. Max understood the sentiments, Chloe wanted to hold her but she was driving so the small touches were to show she was thinking about her. It was a wonderful feeling, that somebody cared about her in such a way.

The found a clothing shop that was more in line with Rachels and Chloe's punkish styles and entered, eliciting a small "Yay" from Rachel, who disappeared into the aisles of clothes before Max could blink.

"She really likes shopping huh?" Max asked Chloe, who had slipped her hand into Max's, interlocking their fingers together.

"I didn't think it was this much." Chloe answered, leading Max into the aisles of clothes at a gentle pace. They browsed together, pointing out clothes for one another rather than looking for themself. Every so often Rachel would reappear, ask for an opinion on an item of clothing she was holding, agree or disagree, then disappear once more.

"What about this one?" Max asked, pointing out a white vest top with a monochromatic butterfly image. Chloe looked closer.

"Fuck yes." She picked it up and hooked it over her free arm.

"I didn't know clothes shopping could be so much fun."

"With the right company it can be a blast." Chloe said, holding up a black shirt with it's own blue butterfly on the front. Max instantly thought of that blue butterfly in the bathroom, watching Chloe die before she managed to rewind time and break the fire alarm's glass. It was a fitting choice coming from the girl who had helped awaken her powers.

"Get it. It suits you." Max said.

"It's not for me." Chloe grinned. "I think it would look good on you."

"I bow to your superior punk knowledge." She said with a small bow. Chloe put the shirt over the other one and took Max's hand in hers again.

"You're a dork."

"So what have you and Rachel been spending so much time on the computer for?" Max asked, choosing to brush aside the playful jibe.

"We were looking for that map, remember?" Chloe answered, picking out a couple of pairs of jeans and adding them to the pile.

"Before that, while I got my parents on side." Max said, picking out her own size in jeans and slinging them over Chloe's loaded arm.

"Oh that. It's a surprise." Chloe said as Rachel reappeared holding a number of clothes as well as a red and black flannel shirt.

"For you Max." Rachel said, throwing it over Chloe's arm as well. "You looked hella cute in my clothes, so now you have your own."

"That happened too?" Max said, surprised at some of the parallels between timelines.

"You wore my clothes in the other timeline too?" Rachel asked, looking a little shocked,

"You'd left some at Chloe's and mine smelled like chlorine, she kind of told me to try them on."

"Well that makes sense." Rachel smiled. "I do have an awesome sense of fashion. Even Chloe's worn my clothes at one point." Max smiled, Chloe laughed.

"Think we've got enough?" Max asked, looking at the two piles of clothes that had quickly accumulated, draped over Rachel's and Chloe's arms.

"Definitely. We can get the bikinis when we're in LA." Rachel said, leading the way to the cashier.

"Bikinis? I'll pass." Max said self conciously.

"You will not. If Chloe and I are wearing bikinis then the Time-Lady can too."

Rachel once again paid for everything without a second glance at the cost. Whatever money she had she wasn't worried about how much they spent, not yet anyway. Max couldn't help but wonder just how deep her hush money reserves went.

* * *

They returned to the house in high spirits, they were one step closer to leaving Seattle and hitting the open road. Rachel's attitude had changed to that of excitement and enjoyment rather than the depressive mood she had been slowly sinking into since Max had snapped back. She was upbeat, cracking bad jokes and puns while busy cutting shopping tags off the clothes before folding them neatly into the three very different bags. It had an effect on all of them, you couldn't be sad when Rachel was this happy. Max's diary was moved around on the desk constantly as they searched for pens or photos, a constant reminder that she would soon need to read what the Other-Max had left her.

"I'm going to grab my shower." Chloe said, putting her cigarette out in the ashtray. "Be good you two." She kissed Max before she left the room.

"I was going to go first." Rachel said, a playful pout on her lips. "Early bird and all that I guess." She opened up the blue butterfly shirt and admired it. "Oh nice, who picked it?"

"Chloe did, it's mine apparently." Max answered, sitting on the bed and pulling her knees up to her chest.

"She has a good eye." Rachel folded the shirt with care and put it in Max's travel bag. "We should have washed everything first, but we want to get going in the morning, right?"

"Right! Before my parents change their minds."

Rachel smiled and looked round. "Are you okay?"

"Still getting used to everything." Max answered truthfully. "Still wondering about what else is different."

"We still have to tell you the rest of the story, whenever you're ready." Rachel stepped over and knelt down infront of the brunette.

"Can I ask you something?" Max said, afraid of the answer to the question.

"Of course, anything."

"You may not know the answer, but did Other-Max and Chloe ever... you know?"

"Ever what?" Rachel tilted her head to the side, oblivious to what Max was trying to ask. Max felt her cheeks flush, which seemed to confirm something for Rachel. "Oh. No. Not that I know of, I never walked in on you two ever... but..." The blonde's cheeks were turning red now too. "Hm, I don't actually know. Unfortunately this is one thing you'll have to ask Chloe."

"She's never told you if they did?"

"I'm sorry Max, she's never told me." Rachel rubbed her legs comfortingly. "Maybe it's in your diary? Have you tried looking in there?"

"Not yet, I was planning to look in the morning before we left. Leave the past behind in Seattle kind of thing, if it sucks."

"That's a good idea." Rachel's hazel eyes were like magnets, drawing Max's eyes to meet them. "How about we take a selfie together?" Rachel said, producing the camera from Max's messenger bag that had been discarded on the floor the night before.

Max laughed. "Sure, but I'm taking the picture." She said, taking the camera from the blonde. Rachel jumped up on the bed and hugged Max from behind, her head resting on Max's right shoulder. A click, a flash, and the polaroid was developed. Once again Rachel grabbed for the picture first.

"This is a nice one." She said, holding it up infront of Max. She hadn't realised how much she'd been smiling but once again Rachel stole the spotlight, she looked absolutely brilliant.

"Photographer and model, locked in time." Max said looking at her left hand, she could freeze time without the use of a camera now.

"I like that." Rachel said, bounding off the bed to the desk. She returned with a pen, flipped over the photo and wrote the title on the back. "There. What do you think? Rewind now if you don't like it!"

"I like it." Max smiled.

"You'll make an awesome professional photographer one day Super Max, and if you miss a moment you can just rewind and try again." Rachel said, putting the selfie in her own bag. It meant something to Max that Rachel would keep the selfie for herself, a momento of their friendship.

"Isn't that cheating?" Max asked, leaning back to watch the blonde continue packing.

"If the power was given to you, to use as you please, how is it cheating to inspire the world?" Rachel answered. "By your logic, isn't it cheating to have saved my life?"

"That's different, you were an innocent victim of two fucking psychopaths."

"You still broke the natural order of the world to do it." Max couldn't understand why Rachel was saying this, surely she didn't want to be dead? "Not all cheating is bad Max. Sometimes it can lead to wonderful things. If you're not intentionally hurting anybody, what's the problem?"

The bedroom door opened before Max could think of a response. Chloe stepped in with a towel around her chest and her clothes in her hands, her blue hair still soaking wet.

"My turn!" Rachel said before Max could, squeezing through the door before Chloe could close it completely.

"Damn it." Max muttered.

"You should have joined me." Chloe said with a not-so-innocent smirk, dropping her clothes on what was now her side of the bed.

"Have we ever..." Max started to say.

"It would have been a first." She answered, sitting close beside Max.

Max couldn't help but look at the beads of water clinging to Chloe's skin, glistening as the light reflected off them. A primal urge was scratching at Max's insides, wanting to jump the gorgeous girl beside her and kiss her until they couldn't kiss anymore. But her mind held her back, locked and caged her urges away so she wouldn't do something she may regret. It was Chloe who made the first move, tracing her finger up the front of Max's shirt to her chin, pulling her in gently to a deep meaningful kiss. It was like heaven, lost in the clouds that represented their feelings for one another, surrounded on all sides. Max couldn't break the kiss even if she wanted to, it was powerful, overwhelming and perfect. Her hand naturally went to Chloe's bare leg, caressing the smooth skin with her finger tips, moving up to her thigh where her fingers stopped against the towel.

"Oh for fucks sakes you two." Rachel said from the door, wrecking the moment. "I leave the room for two minutes and you're all over each other." Max's head dropped onto the top of Chloe's towel.

"What did you forget this time?" Chloe asked, her voice tinged with annoyance.

"A change of clothes? I'm not going to be coming in here naked for you two to drool over." Rachel said, gathering up some clothes from the airbed on the floor. The door clicked shut behind the blonde.

"Moment. Ruined." Max said.

"Welcome to my world." Chloe laughed to herself.

* * *

Max had rushed her shower after Rachel, wanting to get back to spending time with her friends rather than the chaos of her own mind. That night the three of them decided not to be so reclusive with Max's parents, instead choosing to spend their last night with them in the hopes they would worry less about their daughter if they could see how happy the three of them were together. They ordered in pizza, stuck on some cheesy romantic comedies and passed the night away with laughter and jokes. Despite their best efforts, Max and Chloe couldn't stay apart, cuddling up together on the couch even under the eyes of her parents who didn't seem at all surprised. They knew more than they were letting on, but Max was glad they weren't lecturing her about who she'd fallen head over heels for. For such a short period of time Max was finally able to switch off her brain and just enjoy the moment, surrounded by the people she loved. She would miss her parents and most definitely the free food, but she couldn't wait til morning when they would finally be setting off for LA, passing through San Francisco at some point, at Max's request.

They returned to the bedroom, eyelids heavy, their stomachs full. Rachel dropped onto the airbed without another word, a rustling of covers to be heard as she took off her leggings and socks, thrown clear of the bed to be cleaned up in the morning. Max and Chloe followed suit, getting into their shared bed and throwing their jeans and socks clear. It wouldn't take long to tidy in the morning but right now they were beat.

"Night Rachel." Chloe said.

"G'night lovelies." Said Rachel, almost stifled by a yawn.

"Night." Max said, more to Rachel than Chloe. For Chloe she snuggled in close, their heads sharing the same pillow. "Chloe Price." She said quietly.

"Hm?" Chloe said, her eyes locked on Max's, refusing to look away.

"I love you." The biggest smile she had ever seen broke across the blunettes features, like the weight of a worry had lifted.

"I love you too Max Caulfield." Max smiled back, just as wide and happy as Chloe. She hadn't had to rewind and take it back, Chloe had said it too.

* * *

Morning came far quicker than Max would have liked, cutting her time in Chloe's loving embrace short. Excitement was building in all of them, though tightly contained as they finished the tasks they had to do before leaving. Rachel was packing their toiletries in the bathroom, Chloe was loading the truck outside, but Max was face to face with the diary. She sat at her desk, nervous about what Other-Max had left for her to see. She was expecting a lecture, a telling off for cutting their time with Chloe short. She'd never been so afraid of reading her own words before. Taking a deep breath she opened the diary and started flicking through the pages. Her entry on September 2, 2013 was nothing like she remembered writing. It mentioned meeting Rachel, how they talked about Chloe all night as they unpacked her things in her dorm room together. It was a completely different Max. She flicked ahead, skim reading some of the more interesting pieces of information, until her eyes finally settled on a date. November 1, 2013. It was her writing, but it was addressed to her.

_Dear Future Max,_

_Don't worry I'm not about to lecture you, in fact I don't have a bad thing to say about you at all._

_Your actions have given me the most amazing two months of my life, not including that Tornado in Arcadia Bay. Which I still don't understand by the way.  
_

_Not only did I get to see Chloe again but I got to meet her best friend Rachel, and we have had one hell of a good time! I never realised how much I missed Chloe until I saw those big blue eyes, framed by that awesome blue hair she's rocking. And thanks to Rachel's tenacity and cunning, I realised really soon that my friendship with Chloe was no longer platonic. It was like being awoken from a deep slumber to realise just who I had in front of me. I have never felt this way about anybody in my life!  
_

_If it wasn't for you I don't think I'd have worked up the courage to see her again. I really hope you have come to understand just how you feel about that punk girl too, otherwise this is all going to come as a pretty big shock to you when you read this.  
_

_She is going to drive you wild in more ways than you can understand right now, if you let her, but take it from me you WANT to let her.  
_

_As for Rachel, she is an awesome friend. She is going to push your limits, test your resolve and she will imbue self-confidence in you like you've never imagined it. I'd know, I'm living proof!  
_

_But be careful, sometimes when she doesn't think you're looking you will notice there's a fire in her eyes, something primal, yet absolutely beautiful. It will inspire your photographs trying to capture that fire. She's an immense tease too. I'm going to bet she'll make a move on you soon, to test you, to see how you feel about Chloe. It's what she did with me. But whatever you do, don't miss Chloe out, even as you're chasing those perfect moments. Always be honest and truthful with her!  
_

_Lastly, thank you again for the two months you gave me. I'm sad to have to go, replaced by another me, but these memories are ours forever even if we can't remember them.  
_

_Look after Chloe and make so many more happy memories with her, she means the world and more to us!  
_

Max closed the diary, wiping tears out of her eyes. It was always hard to say goodbye, but to see herself writing a goodbye letter like this one broke her heart. She felt so shitty for putting Other-Max through the knowledge that she'd eventually be overwritten. She took a moment trying to compose herself, the words going round her head and adding to the chaos she was still experiencing. Even Other-Max had noticed those strange moments with Rachel and had been inspired by the hidden depths behind those hazel eyes, and Rachel had been the one to help her realise just how she really felt for Chloe. The door to the bedroom opened, she quickly tried to dry her eyes of the tears that had continued to spill forth. She expected to see Chloe swaggering into the room, but was pleasantly surprised to see Rachel instead.

"Hey Max it's..." Rachel started to say but stopped when she saw Max's puffy eyes. "Are you okay?" Max almost jumped out of the chair, rushing into Rachel who quickly engulfed her in a hug. "Hey, what's wrong?" She asked again.

"Thank you, for everything you've done for me, and for Chloe." She sobbed, trying to control the emotions she was struggling with.

"It's okay." Rachel stroked her back, comforting the brunette.

"No really, thank you. You helped Other-Max realise what she felt for Chloe, what I feel for Chloe."

"It was pretty damn obvious Max, you were both just so oblivious to it. She wouldn't have been so worried about meeting a best friend again if there wasn't something else to it. I just pushed where I had to, to get you both to see it for yourselves."

"That's why you dared Other-Max to kiss her?" Max asked, pulling away from the hug.

"Threw you in the deep end with that." Rachel smiled. "I think you two were fated to be together Max, so enjoy it!"

Max smiled and rubbed her eyes once more, the emotions finally settling to a tolerable level. "I can't imagine my life without her. Not after all that shit." She admitted quietly.

"I know Max. Come on, it's time to go." Rachel held her hand out for Max, who took it without reservations.

The blonde pulled her out of the bedroom, leaving the diary behind. Max would start another if she needed to, that one had served it's time. They rushed down the stairs and out the front door, where Max stopped to embrace her parents one more time before they left.

"Stay safe, all of you." Her mother said, hugging Chloe and Rachel as well.

"Max." Her father said, pulling her aside for a moment. "Any problems, any at all, you come straight home."

"I know Dad." She answered, hugging him again.

"And take this, emergency credit card." He said, putting the item in her hand. "No sleeping in the truck, you get a hotel, put it on the card and then you come home. Do you understand?"

"Yes Dad." She pocketed the card to keep it safe.

"Good girl. You've grown up so fast Max."

"Come on Max! We're burning daylight!" Rachel called from the passenger door.

"I'll call you both later." Max said, walking backwards to the truck. Rachel gave her a playful shove to get her into the waiting vehicle, Chloe was grinning from behind the wheel again. Rachel jumped in beside Max and buckled up.

"And... we're... off!" Rachel yelled as Chloe drove them away from the place they'd called home for the last two weeks.

"Oh shit, where's my camera?" Max said suddenly. "We have to go back!"

"No we don't." Rachel said, pulling the messenger bag up from the footwell and dropping it in Max's lap. "I wouldn't let you forget something as important as that."

"Did you pack all the photographs? Blackwell pictures too?"

"Yes Max, I know you want to go through them." Rachel opened the passenger window, allowing the air to cycle around the cabin, blowing her blonde hair and feather earring.

"You're in good hands Max." Chloe said, shifting in her seat to get comfy. "You may be right about the comfort level though."

"I know I'm right." Rachel said, pulling Max close again.

"We're practically sharing this space." Max laughed.

"Maybe we should get a pillow so Max can sit on your lap while I drive? That may improve our comfort." Rachel said with a wink to Max.

"Oh no, we're not starting this trip off with that. I'll turn around." Chloe said, trying to suppress her smile. "I will, I swear it."

"Uh-huh. Right. You will keep driving Miss Price, there is a city I'd like to reach some time next week."

"Next week?" Max asked.

"Well we're not going to go to San Francisco, take two photos and jump back in the truck. I want to explore!" Rachel said. "We can go anywhere, do anything! I intend to make the most of this!"

"Then we will." Max grinned.

"Good, let's start with a game." Rachel said, that mischevious look was back.

* * *

Almost five hours later they were in Portland, the first stop on their journey to Los Angeles. It was strange being back in Oregon with no intention of actually visiting Arcadia Bay. Neither Chloe or Rachel seemed to be giving it any thought, though Max couldn't help but think of the people she'd killed when she had made her final choice all those weeks ago. Her sadness must have been evident to her two friends, Rachel had wrapped an arm around the brunette while Chloe gently squeezed her hands. It wasn't much further to the hotel they had booked online before leaving, a spa and hotel next to the river. It was a bit outside of their price range, but Rachel had once again been adamant that they needed to enjoy the trip as much as possible.

"Know where we're going Chloe?" Rachel asked, keeping a gentle hold on Max.

"I'll find it." Chloe replied confidently.

"We have a map."

"I'll find it."

"You missed the turn."

"Give me the map." Chloe said, hand outstretched to take the physical map they'd brought with them. Max produced the map out of her satchel, checked it was folded correctly and handed it to the annoyed, blue haired driver. "No I didn't." Rachel laughed. "Don't confuse the driver." Chloe sounded slightly annoyed.

Rather than annoy her further Rachel turned to Max. "So what should we do first once we've booked in? They have a spa room, dining, the works."

"Food sounds awesome." Chloe piped up. "I haven't eaten since last night."

"Well the first thing is decided then." Rachel said, opening her phone as a message came in. She furrowed her brow as she read the text, then quickly closed her phone and turned to look out the window.

"Everything okay?" Max asked, noticing the change in the girl's attitude.

"It's fine." Rachel mumbled. Max glanced at Chloe who merely shrugged her shoulders.

They pulled into the parking lot of the hotel, where Chloe was more than happy to get out of the truck and start stretching. Rachel was still in a strange mood, grabbing her travel bag out of the truck bed and slinging the strap over her shoulder, saying nothing to Max or Chloe. Max took both her and Chloe's bags, one over either shoulder including her messenger bag for her camera. She tilted slightly to the side as she got used to the weight.

"Sure you've got that?" Chloe asked, locking the truck and walking round to help Max.

"I've got it." Max answered, taking hold of Chloe's hand as they walked into the hotel lobby after the moody blonde. "What's got into her?" She whispered.

"I've seen her like this a couple of times before." Chloe answered just as quietly.

"Should I be worried?"

"Maybe. Be ready to rewind." Chloe said uncomfortably. They approached Rachel quietly, who was already holding two room keycards in her hand. She tossed Chloe one of them.

"Top floor." Rachel said, already walking towards the elevators. They followed behind, Max was getting increasingly worried, she'd never seen Rachel act like this before. They got out on the top floor and followed her down a hallway towards their rooms, Rachel stopped at her door and without a second glance at her friends had entered her room. Chloe unlocked their own room and stepped inside. Max's jaw dropped as she entered the spacious room, it was more like an apartment than a hotel bedroom.

"How much did she pay?" Max said, dropping the bags by the door.

"Holy shit..." Chloe said, running into the master bedroom. "Max, come here!" She shouted.

Max rushed to follow her and stopped in the door to the bedroom, shock seizing her chest. They had a private balcony with a view of the river. "What the fuck Rachel?" Max said, stepping out onto the balcony with Chloe.

"This is too much." Chloe said, leaning against the outer wall. Max was already leaving, she needed to find out how much this had cost them. Chloe was soon close behind, the keycard in hand. Max banged on Rachel's door, trying to get her to open up.

"Rachel!" She called out, banging on the door again. They heard something break on the other side of the door, they looked at each other, the worry on their faces mirrored.

"Rachel!" Chloe said, adding her fist to the banging on the door.

"Should we get help?" Max said.

"Just be ready to rewind." Chloe said, taking a step back, preparing to try to kick down the door when it opened. Rachel was stood in the door, some of her clothes ripped, her hair dishevelled, tears streaming down her face that was twisted up in a scowl. Max pulled Rachel into a tight hug as Chloe slipped past them into the room, expecting an intruder.

"Max!" Chloe shouted. Max kept a comforting arm around Rachel and stepped inside, the room was as big as theirs, only it has been absolutely trashed. Lamps had been thrown against the walls, pillows from the couch were scattered around the room, the bed was a total mess. Max was almost impressed that one girl could cause such damage in such a small period of time. It also worried her, what the fuck had got into Rachel? Chloe raced back to Max, concern all over her face. "Max, you need to stay in here and rewind. We can't get into trouble for this." She said. "Rachel. You need to focus, what could Max say to you to stop you doing this?"

"Why? Maybe I need to wreck the room, maybe I need to get it out of my system." Rachel said, she was still seething.

"Because we can't get into trouble for this." Max said, aware of that fire in Rachel's eyes. Other-Max was right, it was a dangerous yet beautiful thing.

"I don't fucking care." Rachel said, pulling away from Max and stalking into the room, away from her friends.

"Max, give me your phone." Chloe said, holding out her hand. Max complied, digging her phone out of her pocket. Chloe opened the messenger and typed something in quickly. "As soon as you're done rewinding, send this and open the door, okay?"

"Okay." Max said, taking the phone back, her thumb hovering over the send key.

"Good luck." Chloe said, giving Max a quick kiss.

Max raised her left hand, feeling the power of her abilities below the surface of her mind, like a slow uphill hike time began to move backwards. She watched Rachel move backwards and close the door, then move across the room to sit on the couch. She got up, a hand reached out and caught a lamp that had reassembled itself, then another and another. She ran her hands forwards over her hair, returning it to it's pristine condition. She caught pillows and placed them back on the couch, fixed the bed and caught her bag, which she'd obviously thrown into the bathroom without a care in the world. Then as Rachel reached the door Max released her power, appearing beside the now startled girl. She hit the send key immediately and opened the door behind them, just as Chloe had instructed.

"What the fuck are you doing Max?" Rachel demanded, throwing her bag onto the couch. "You promised you wouldn't rewind me without good fucking reason."

"You just wrecked this fucking room, I'd say that's good reason." Max almost shouted, just as Chloe appeared in the doorway, their bags over her shoulders.

"It's not up to you!"

"I told her to." Chloe said, trying to lead the blonde to the couch. Max nudged the door closed, her arms wrapped around herself as her anxiety mounted.

"Well it's not up to you either." Rachel retorted, pulling away from Chloe's grip.

"Rachel, you once walked away from me when instead you should have talked to me." Chloe said, dropping her own bags with Rachel's and sitting on what little space was left. "You remember that night?"

"Of course I fucking remember." Rachel said, though the bite had left her voice.

"Then talk to us Rachel, we're your friends." Said Max, leaning against the door. Rachel sat in one of the chairs by the couch, her arms crossed defiantly. She rocked back and forth for a moment, staring at a point on the floor, just like she'd done back in Max's bedroom.

"The text was from my Dad. He told me to spend less or he'd cut me off, permenantly." She said, biting her bottom lip.

"You've been spending his money?" Chloe asked.

"Yep, and I've just upgraded us to these rooms as a final 'Fuck you' to that miserable old bastard." There was a defiant smirk on her soft features.

"Shit." Chloe's head dropped forward. Max tipped her head back, banging the door.


	4. The Cost of Victory

 

Max knocked her head against the door a few more times, hoping she'd wake up in the truck. She wasn't that lucky. Rachel really had just charged the cost of the rooms to her father, and was happy about it. But it didn't make sense that her Dad would be telling her off if it was just this once, and before they'd even paid for the rooms. Max looked at Rachel, her eyes narrowed, a thought having just occured to her.

"You also billed the cost of our clothes to your Dad too, didn't you?" She asked, her fists clenching and unclenching at her sides.

"Of course I did, he told me to use the credit card as I needed it and we needed clothes." Rachel said, turning her hazel eyes on Max. Chloe was now looking at Rachel too, though she didn't appear to know what to say.

"And the hotel? We didn't need the best rooms available."

"We weren't having these rooms originally, but when he sent me that fucking text I decided we deserved to treat ourselves to the best."

"Fuck." Max almost shouted.

"The damage is done now Max, he'll be calling me later to talk about it and I refuse to rewind this shit away!"

"And if the conversation goes badly and he does cut you off? Or reports the card stolen to the cops?" Chloe said, backing Max up.

"It won't go badly, not if Max helps me make my case." Rachel smiled sweetly, though right now nobody was falling for that smile.

"You want me to rewind through your conversation with your Dad? And do what? How can I help? It's your conversation." Max shook her head in disbelief.

"You can write things on a notepad, rewind, and I'll know what to say, or not to say, instead." Rachel explained. "It means we'll have access to money Max, we'll be able to live it up a bit longer. Until we get to LA at least!"

"We do need money Max." Chloe said, looking at Max instead.

"Chloe! You don't really want me to go along with this?" Max asked incredulously.

"Either way, I have to talk to my Dad now. If we want it to go well, I need your help." Rachel said, standing up and moving over to pull Max's arms aside. "I need Super Max." She said sweetly, holding Max's hands.

"I could always selfie back, warn you not to fucking do this." Max reasoned, thinking back to the selfie she took with Rachel yesterday.

"The most recent selfie we have was on your bed, yesterday, while Chloe was in the shower." Rachel said, feeding into the idea. "I mean it could work, it was before we booked the rooms."

Chloe looked at Max, worry in her pretty blue eyes. The selfie had also been taken before they'd declared their love for each other that night, things could go very differently if Max had to warn Rachel from doing something, especially without Chloe in the bedroom. She had no idea how the blonde would react.

"Fuck." Max paused, mulling over her choices. "Fine, we'll try to sweet talk your Dad." She agreed reluctantly.

"He probably won't call until later tonight, so why don't you two go get settled in?"

Chloe crossed her arms defiantly. "Only if you promise not to wreck this room."

"Again" Max added.

"Okay. Fine. I promise I won't wreck my room if you two wonderful girls leave me here alone." Rachel said, her right hand on her heart.

Chloe rolled her eyes, gathering up their bags. "Come on Max, let's check out our room." Max stepped aside and opened the door, allowing Chloe to pass.

"Rachel..." Max started to say.

"I'm fine Max, go spend some time with your girlfriend. I'll come to you when Daddy calls." Rachel got up herself, opening her discarded bag to pull out her toiletries.

Max shook her head as she left the blonde alone in the room, hoping she wouldn't do anything else so rash. Chloe was already at the door to their own room, holding it open as Max caught up.

"What else happened?" Chloe said as they stepped inside, placing their bags on their own couch.

"What did the text say?" Max asked, she hadn't read it. Chloe handed over her phone, the message still visible on the screen.

**Max:**

_You told me to rewind. Rachel wrecked her room. Arcadia Bay fire style. Hurry._

"Fire style? What does that mean?" Max demanded, handing the phone back.

"Ugh, that is a long story." Chloe grimaced, passing into the master bedroom and throwing herself down on the bed. Max sat on the edge of the it, kicked off her shoes and dropped her camera bag on the floor.

"Well we have time until her Dad calls to chew her out." Max said, she wasn't letting this go and Chloe knew it.

"Three years ago, when Rachel and I first started hanging out, we skipped school." Chloe started, sitting back up. "For me it was surreal, hanging out with Rachel Amber, the most popular girl in school. For her? She didn't want to be alone trying to catch her Dad in the act of cheating on her Mom."

"Holy shit." Max said.

"But throughout the day we'd grown kind of close, I loved the company! I... I hadn't had anybody like that since... you." Chloe continued, looking down at her boots. "After Rachel saw her Dad kissing another woman she became all closed off, cutting me out. We got into a fight at the Junkyard and she stormed off. And I let her. But not before I told her how I didn't want to lose whatever we had." At this Chloe looked at Max, hope behind those blue eyes. Max moved closer and held her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze just like Chloe would do in the truck.

"I fell asleep at the Junkyard, and woke up after dark, decided to go and find Rachel. And I did. She was back at Overlook Park, under the Old Oak, where we'd seen her Dad kissing the other woman. We talked a bit, about her Dad, about her past. Then she wanted to burn a photo, so I gave her my lighter." Chloe swallowed. "She threw the burning photo in the bin, and then something just came over her. She kicked the bin, it fell over towards the tree. She screamed and the whole thing went up in flames. Whooomf." Chloe said, using her free arm to exaggerate the point. "Just like that Rachel started a dangerous forest fire, all because of an impulsive reaction."

"Oh my god Chloe. Did you tell anybody?"

"Are you fucking kidding? Hell no was I about to say Rachel Amber, the most popular girl at Blackwell with an untarnished reputation, decided to kick over a burning bin and start a fire." Chloe kicked off her boots and moved up the bed, resting her head on the pristine pillows. Max didn't wait for an invitation, lying beside the girl she loved with her head on her chest. "It was the first time I'd seen her lose her shit." She put an arm around Max, tracing a finger over her arm again.

"There was another time?" Max asked incredulously.

"Remember the play I was in?"

"Can't forget it, my Chloe Price in a school play." Max sniggered. "I wish I had seen that."

"It was after that, after the..." She went quiet.

"Oh, that was when you kissed?" Max felt the jealous beast stir, quickly trying to calm it. It was the past.

"Yeah. Well we went back to her house." The beast twisted in Max's stomach, she felt another admission coming on, one she wasn't going to like. "We were going to get some clothes and leave Arcadia Bay, that night."

"But you didn't, obviously."

"No, her parents were waiting at home and ambushed us as we got in. They invited me to dinner, after I almost got their daughter kicked out of the play."

"Sounds like there's another story there." Max moved away from the warmth of her body, uncomfortably aware of how much time with Chloe she'd missed.

"That one is easy. It's when I got expelled." Chloe said, taking the opportunity to roll onto her side and stare into Max's eyes. "I took the blame for Rachel skipping school and Wells kicked me out. And I'd do it again."

"Wow Chloe, that's... you are a really good friend."

"Her parents didn't seem impressed, their perfect daughter skipping class with a delinquent, so when they invited me to eat with them it was a fucking surprise." Chloe had continued to trace that same pattern on Max's arm, it was becoming a habit. "They had a glass dining table, really posh. We sat down to eat and her Dad decided to be a fucking ass. So..."

"You called him out on it, didn't you?" Max smirked.

"Too fucking right I did. Pompous ass deserved the beat down. But Rachel... she picked up the salad bowl and put it through the table. Glass everywhere." Max's eyes were wide with shock.

"When shit's going bad with Rachel she gets all smashy." Chloe explained.

"Doesn't give her the right to fuck up her hotel room." Max shot back, some of her anger from earlier returning. She'd tried to keep most of it bottled up.

"No it doesn't, but when I see it coming I try to calm her down first."

"Bit difficult to do when you're not in the same room as her."

"I know Max, but you don't understand why."

"You feel as though she saved you, that she did save you, when I wasn't here for you." It was Choe's turn to look shocked now, they obviously hadn't talked about it in this timeline.

"Did I tell you that? In the other timeline?" She asked.

"Yes." Max answered quietly. "You were so overcome with grief when Rachel went missing, and you told me all about her and how you felt. You told me you loved her, how you were meant to leave Arcadia Bay together."

"And in this timeline we did, with you too." Chloe stroked Max's cheek, that soft bit of pressure was enough to stop the hurt caused by a memory. A memory that had never happened. "She's our friend Max, flaws as well."

"I know Chloe, I did just go through two weeks of planning to get that girl back to you. I'd never do anything for us to lose her again."

"Then we have to look after her, as she looks after us." Chloe smiled. "As she helped us find our feelings." She moved closer, their noses almost touching.

"You're right, but we really need a plan on how to deal with her if she's going to keep doing this shit." Max said killing the mood. Chloe wasn't the one about to go through who knows how many rewinds for an acceptable result. She had no idea how drained it could make her.

"I can agree with that." Chloe nodded, her stomach growling.

"And I think we can agree we need to eat." Max giggled.

"Ruined our own moment." Chloe said, rolling off the bed to get her boots.

"There will be others." Max reasoned, though couldn't help but agree. She slid down the bed to put on her shoes and pulled on her camera bag once again, wanting to get some good shots over dinner, something to improve the mood. Chloe was pocketing her phone as she walked through the bedroom doors.

"Rachel says she's hungry too." She called from the other room.

"Three's company." Max said, stretching her arms before her.

"And she says wear this." A black shirt landed on Max's lap. She unfolded it carefully and smiled when she saw it was the blue butterfly Chloe had picked out for her. She took off her bag and jacket, followed closely by her shirt and pulled on the new one. It was slightly baggier than she was used to, but it was perfect. Then she realised she'd had an audience in Chloe, who was looking round the doorframe.

"Perv." Max said with a playful smile.

"Seen your underwear before Caulfield." Chloe replied, sticking out her tongue.

"You were perving then too." Max stood up, pulling on her white jacket and camera bag once more, and approached her gorgeous girlfriend with a smirk on her face.

"I was not, I was simply admiring your petite form in all it's splendour."

"Bullshit." She pressed her lips against Chloe's, enjoying the taste of her lips. "I can't get enough of those." Max admitted as they broke the connection.

"And I never get tired of hearing you say that." Chloe replied. "But we can't keep Rachel waiting, or she'll be kicking down our door."

"I'll rewind her and just keep kissing you." Max stuck her own tongue out this time, but conceded defeat. "But... if I'm going out in this..." She rummaged through Chloe's travel bag and pulled out the monochromatic butterfly vest top. "You have to wear this."

"Deal." Chloe stripped off her jacket, throwing it to Max, then her black skull vest top and threw it on the bags. "Gimme the shirt." Max held the top away from Chloe with a smile. "Now who's the perv?" She tried to step round Max to get her shirt out of the smaller girls hands.

"Just getting some justice." Max laughed, handing over the top. Chloe quickly pulled it on. "Looking good!"

"You made a good choice." Chloe taking back her brown jacket. "Come on." She said, taking Max's hand and leading her out of the hotel room.

"Took you long enough." Rachel said, leaning against her own room door. "You said let's eat ten minutes ago. I thought I was going to have to break in and prise you apart."

"We were getting ready." Max said, opening her jacket to show off the shirt. "See? Just as you asked."

"Looking good! And the monochromatic looks awesome, as usual Chloe."

"Thank you." Chloe responded, holding onto Max's hand as they approached the elevators. Before the doors could open Rachel's phone started ringing.

"It's my Dad." Rachel said holding it up for them to see.

"Can't catch a damn break." Chloe sighed. "I need food."

"Let's get room service." Rachel said, leading the way back to her room. She hadn't answered the phone yet, allowing it to ring out.

"I'm going to be rewinding on an empty stomach too." Max said quietly, dreading how she was going to feel afterwards.

"I've got you Max." Chloe said, squeezing the girl's hand for reassurance. Rachel let them into her room, looking down at her phone, her fingers tapping the keys. She had that look in her eyes again, this wasn't going to be one of their best nights. Max sat down at the dining table with Chloe beside her, she couldn't believe the shit she was about to try to dig Rachel out of.

"Pen and notepad." Rachel said, putting them infront of Max and sitting down opposite. "Try to write down what he says, rewind after the call, show me and I'll try to improve on the outcome." She'd obviously put some thought into this.

"When do we order food?" Chloe said, her stomach growling again.

"After we're done, please?" Max answered. "We may have to go through this a few times and I don't want to be distracted by the thought of food."

"I guess it will only be once for us." Chloe looked at Rachel and nodded. "Let's get this over with."

Rachel clicked the call button, put her phone on speaker and placed it in the middle of the table.

"Rachel. Just what do you think you are doing?" Her father's voice said, loud and crystal clear. Max quickly began scribbling. "I gave you that card to use for essentials. Not to splash out on clothes for your friends, or two rooms at an expensive hotel."

"I know Dad, but..." Rachel started to say, but he cut her off.

"Is Chloe Price there? Is she listening to our conversation?" Rachel looked at Chloe and nodded for her to reply.

"I'm here Mr Amber." Chloe said, looking at the phone like it was about to jump up and bite her.

"Miss Price, I expected you to look after my daughter and limit her spending if you knew there was a finite amount."

"Chloe didn't know that I was using your card." Rachel tried to interject, but her father continued.

"How about Miss Caulfield?" Max looked up, hoping she wouldn't need to get involved if she was expected to write things down. Rachel nodded again.

"I'm here too Mr Amber." She said reluctantly.

"Miss Caulfield, while I have known Miss Price for some years I have not had the same pleasure knowing you. Though I was under the impression you would be the voice of reason, to tame these rebellious teenagers. Were you aware of my daughter's spending habits?"

"No sir, I didn't know she was using your card. I didn't even know she had it." Max answered honestly. She hadn't been that Max after all.

"Of course." The line went silent, Max wasn't sure if he believed her.

"Dad they had no idea I used the card, but we did need new clothes. Most of our things were in Arcadia Bay." Rachel tried to explain, her palms down on the table.

"That may be the case, but why couldn't they pay for their own? Why couldn't Miss Caulfield's parents provide for her?" Chloe rolled her eyes.

"Max has been paying for our food." Rachel started, but once again her Dad cut her off.

"That is a lie Rachel, I am looking at a bill for a restaurant two nights ago."

"We all chipped in the for that meal, Rachel paid by card because she had no cash." Chloe lied.

"Miss Caulfield, is that correct?" The two girls looked at Max, expecting her to lie. She hated lying, this wasn't fair.

"Y-yes sir." Max almost swore, she was lying to a District Attorney, a man who made his living on picking apart a lie and presenting the evidence.

"You don't sound certain."

"We all chipped in Dad." Rachel said, covering for Max.

"Then please, continue."

"Chloe has been paying for the gas." Rachel paused, waiting for her Dad to come out with some other piece of evidence. He remained quiet. "So we've been sharing the costs, I figured I could buy them some clothes considering everything they've done for me."

"That may be so, and I may have been able to forgive you if it was just clothes. But what about two rooms at a hotel in Portland?"

"We're traveling down to LA, a bit of a road trip, and I figured I'd treat them after everything Max's parents have done for us."

"I was under the impression you would be staying with the Caulfields in Seattle until things in Arcadia Bay settled down." He was not letting go.

"We were, but we wanted a break and I suggested LA." Rachel was losing the battle and they all knew it.

"You've squandered my trust Rachel. I want you to return to Arcadia Bay tomorrow. Chloe Price, I expect you to drive my daughter home, am I understood?"

"Yes Mr Amber." Chloe answered, her head down.

"Good Night girls, enjoy the rooms." There was a distinct click as he hung up.

"Fuck!" Rachel yelled, throwing the phone off the table. Max put the pen down on the notepad and looked over the transcript. "Max, you need to be more confident when you speak to him. Otherwise he'll know when you're lying." Rachel said.

"I don't lie very well Rachel, it just isn't me." Max said, sitting back.

"Well I need it to be you right now, we need to stop him from deciding to try to make me go back."

"What is the best outcome we can hope for right now?" Chloe asked.

"Him letting me keep the card for emegencies." Rachel answered, it didn't seem like she'd accept anything less.

"That's going to be tough Rachel." Max said, shaking her head.

"Anything less means going back to Arcadia Bay, and I refuse to go back there." Rachel almost shouted.

"Fine... looks like I'm about to do the first rewind of the night." Max sighed, taking the top page off the notepad and keeping it in her right hand.

"See you soon." Chloe said, kissing Max's cheek. She smiled weakly, took in a deep breath, raised her left hand and rewound time, watching the girl's expressions and movements moving backwards to just before the phone was placed on the table. She released the power and let out her breath.

"I guess it will only be once for us." Chloe looked at Rachel and nodded. "Let's get this over with."

"Wait." Max said.

"Didn't go well?" Rachel asked.

"Told you to return to Arcadia Bay." She showed them the transcript.

"We'll just not say the same things, try to persuade him another way." Rachel said, hitting the call button, putting it on speaker and placing the phone on the table.

"Rachel. Just what do you think you are doing?" Her father's voice said, loud and crystal clear. Max started writing on the notepad again. "I gave you that card to use for essentials. Not to splash out on clothes for your friends, or two rooms at an expensive hotel."

"I'm sorry Dad, but..." Rachel started to say, but he cut her off just like before.

"Is Chloe Price there? Is she listening to our conversation?" Rachel looked at Chloe.

"I'm here Mr Amber." Chloe said, not sure what else she could say but confirm her presence.

"Miss Price, I expected you to look after my daughter and limit her spending if you knew there was a finite amount."

"I'm very sorry Mr Amber, I wasn't aware she was using your card." Chloe tried this time, though Rachel's father talked over her.

"How about Miss Caulfield?" Max knew it was coming, she didn't need Rachel to persuade her this time.

"I'm here too Mr Amber." She said, trying to sound more confident like Rachel instructed.

"Miss Caulfield, while I have known Miss Price for some years I have not had the same pleasure knowing you. Though I was under the impression you would be the voice of reason, to tame these rebellious teenagers. Were you aware of my daughter's spending habits?"

"No sir, I wasn't aware that she'd been using your card, if I was I'd have tried to stop her." Max said, unsure if it would work to change the conversation's course.

"I can believe that, thank you." The line once again went silent.

"I'm sorry to use the card Dad, but we needed new clothes after losing most of our things in Arcadia Bay." Rachel said, trying to sound apologetic though Max could tell she wasn't.

"That may be the case, but why couldn't they pay for their own? Why couldn't Miss Caulfield's parents provide for her?" Chloe rolled her eyes.

"Chloe has been paying for the gas to drive us around, and Max has been treating us to the sights of Seattle. We've been sharing the cost of food, and a couple of days ago it was my turn." She lied, but it seemed to work.

"That is very sensible of you. I understand the need to share the load during these difficult times. But what about two rooms at a hotel in Portland?"

"We were going on a small trip to Portland, get out of Seattle for a couple of nights and give Max's parents a break. I figured I would treat them after everything we've been through."

"I was under the impression you would be staying with the Caulfields in Seattle until things in Arcadia Bay settled down, not traveling across state lines." He still wasn't letting go. Max felt the need for another rewind coming up.

"We were, but we really needed to get out of the one bedroom we were staying in, and Portland wasn't that far away and we could do some more sightseeing." Rachel was losing the battle again.

"You've squandered my trust Rachel. I want you to return to Arcadia Bay tomorrow. Chloe Price, I expect you to drive my daughter home, am I understood?"

"Yes Mr Amber." Chloe answered, her head down.

"Good Night girls, enjoy the rooms." There was a distinct click as he hung up.

"Fuck!" Rachel yelled, throwing the phone off the table. Max put the pen down on the notepad and looked over the second transcript.

"Same outcome." Max said, once more sitting back in her chair.

"We can do this!" Rachel said. "It went better than last time, we just... we need to keep him sweet."

"I think he's already made up his mind." Chloe looked at Max. She could almost read the sadness in her blue eyes, she was going to have to use the selfie and undo Rachel's mistake the long way. They may be about to lose their first declaration of love.

"Max?" Rachel was staring at her. "Rewind, please?"

So she did. Over and over again just like her conversation with her parents. Mr Amber was not relenting in his dressing down of his daughter and her friends, continuing to order them to return to Arcadia Bay. It wasn't just Rachel refusing to give up though, Max had a stake in the outcome, she did not want to lose that first declaration, to be repeated again like an echo. She wanted that one, and she would be damned to give up so soon. They were trying everything, opening the conversation with an apology, promising it won't happen again, having only Rachel speak to him, or Chloe, or Max. He wasn't having it. Max was over using her powers, causing a nosebleed that seemed to worry Chloe more than Rachel.

"Max you can't keep doing this." Chloe said, dabbing at the brunette's bloody nose. "If you have to use the selfie, then use it."

"Have we made any progress?" Rachel asked, her head in her hands.

"Last time you opened up the conversation by yelling and calling him an unfit father." Max said, taking the tissue from Chloe. "The time before that, Chloe decided to try throwing everything back at him. That time he said he was getting in the car and coming to get you tonight. And the one before that, he ripped into me like I was some kind of psychopath who had stolen his daughter away."

"Why did he do that?" Chloe was surprised.

"I... may have rewound a few times to throw things back at him before he said them, but he was really pissing me off." Max said with a small smirk. "It did feel good though."

"Should we try to wait until morning? When he may be in a better mood?" Rachel asked.

"I don't think I have the power to rewind this far if it goes wrong, I'd have to use the selfie." Max was feeling light-headed. She pulled out Chloe's phone to compare the time with her watch, she found she'd been rewinding for almost four hours. "I can't keep this up all night." She admitted sadly.

"Once more?" Rachel asked, they both nodded and the conversation started again.

She wasn't sure what changed his mind but for a moment in the conversation Mr Amber seemed to be on the verge of agreeing to allow Rachel to remain with her friends, but it was quickly smothered when Rachel's temper got the better of her and he ordered her home again. Max didn't wait for the after-conversation debriefing and rewound immediately, taking the page with her once again. A pain behind her eyes caused her to pitch forward as she stopped the rewind, both sides of her nose now bleeding. Chloe was shouting her name, but it felt like a weight had settled on her chest and behind her eyes. She fought through, trying to get this right.

"Use this, exactly." She said, handing the transcript to Rachel. She was aware of some liquid around her right eye but tried to ignore it.

"Max you need to rest." Chloe's voice was full of concern as she applied a tissue to Max's bleeding nose, using a second to wipe her eye.

"We need to do this Chloe." She remained defiant.

"Do it." Chloe said to Rachel, though kept a tight arm around Max who wasn't completely aware of what was being said. The minutes dragged by but she refused to pass out, she needed to know the outcome before she allowed the peaceful oblivion to take her away.

"Fuck yes!" Rachel suddenly shouted.

"Fucking hell that was... fuck" Chloe said, her head touching Max's. "Good job Max."

Max was aware of a smile on her lips as the darkness was finally allowed to engulf her painful brain.

* * *

She ran down the hotel corridor, trying to find the exit to the streets outside where Rachel and Chloe were sat talking in the truck. Every door led to the same corridor again, always the same image outside, it was driving her insane. She had to reach them, had to be with the girl she loved. She stopped and banged on the window, trying to get Chloe's attention. She would save her, Chloe would save the day, she was always there for Max when she needed her. The beast in her stomach awoke with a demonic growl as she watched Rachel lean in and start to kiss Chloe, who reciprocated without hesitation. Their lips locked together, their hands exploring each other. Max turned away, to ignore the image, but the walls around her had all turned into windows of the event outside. She closed her eyes tight, trying to expel the nightmare from her thoughts.

"What's the matter Max? Don't you want to see Chloe kiss the girl you love?" A deep voice said from behind her.

"That's a fucking lie, I love Chloe." She retorted, turning to face her tormentor. Mark Jefferson lowered his camera and snapped an image. She was back in the Dark Room again.

"Of course you do. That's why you almost killed yourself helping Rachel." He walked across the room, revealing Chloe and Rachel on the couch behind him, their lips still locked together. Max struggled at the straps once more. "If you trusted in your love of Chloe so much, why would you have been so afraid of losing that one little declaration? Surely if you were so... fated... to be together, it would happen anyway?"

"Because I wouldn't fucking remember it the same way." Max spat. "I don't want to always have a different memory to Chloe. I want to share our memories!"

"But you're a timer traveller, we'll never share the same memories." Chloe responded, having broken away from Rachel.

"While Chloe and I can always share our memories, without the fear of erasing the other's." Rachel added, her hand on Chloe's thigh.

"You asked me to fucking do that!" Max shouted at Rachel.

"Now now girls, we don't want to ruin this moment." Jefferson said, taking a couple of shots of Chloe and Rachel, who posed seductively for him. "If only I could have had the three of you in my dark room, together. Three peas in a pod. Three bullets on a chain."

* * *

A heavy weight settled behind Max's eyes, dulling her senses to the world around her. It was an indescribable weight of pain and exhaustion she couldn't ever recall feeling before. She tried to move but her arms and legs felt thick and unresponsive, her eyes were no better. She'd try to crack them open only to be assaulted by a blinding light of colours she couldn't process, even the sounds of the room felt as though they were being received through dense water, muffling and distorting what she could hear. She kept her eyes shut, trying to focus on one sense at a time, to recover from what she'd done to herself. She had no measure of time, no way to know how long she had been this way, but thankfully she could start to hear voices.

"Mom we're fine." Chloe said quietly.

"Why are you whispering then?" Joyce's voice echoed around Max's head, was she here now?

"Because Max is asleep and I don't want to wake her."

"Are you two sharing a bed again?"

"Ugh... Mom."

"You don't have to explain Chloe, David and I are both happy for you. Max is a wonderful girl."

"I know she is." Chloe sounded so happy, Max didn't want her to know she was awake and ruin her good mood. She could feel Chloe running that pattern over her arm again. "How's Arcadia Bay's reconstruction effort?"

"Well it's going to take some time, but we've set up a temporary diner so the workmen can get a good meal."

"You're back to work then?"

"Of course, they practically begged me to." Joyce laughed. "David is helping to keep order. Capturing that terrible Jefferson in the act really did a lot for his reputation amongst the officers."

"Yeah, I bet. Nothing like bringing down a perverted psychopath."

"I have to go now sweetie. You girls be good, when money improves I'll try to send you some."

"Thanks Mom, stay safe okay?"

"I will be. Bye now."

"Bye." Max heard the click on the phone as the line cut off.

She was aware of where she was lying now, they were in a bed with Max's head on Chloe's lap, her left arm draped over Chloe's legs. She was comfortable, or at least that was what her dumbfounded senses were telling her. Last night's events were slowly coming back to her, along with that awful nightmare. They must have succeeded in persuading Rachel's Dad not to demand her return to Arcadia Bay, but everything after that was black, followed by dreams. She felt Chloe's hand take her left, squeezing gently as their habit had become. It was a comforting sensation after what she'd been through.

"What did I miss?" She finally asked, though kept her eyes closed.

"Oh, I'm sorry did I wake you?" Chloe asked, stroking the back of Max's head.

"No. I was waking up anyway, I heard you talking to Joyce."

"Step-douche is fine, and Mom has a job again."

"That's good."

"How are you feeling?" Chloe asked, concern laced her voice. Max hated concerning her so much, they should be living normal lives not always having to worry about each other.

"Like somebody hit me over the head with a hammer." Her stomach started to growl loudly. "And very hungry."

"We'll get you something to eat. Room service is hella awesome." Chloe shifted on the bed, the click of a phone being taken off it's stand, then Chloe started speaking. "Hi, can we get two plates of toast brought up? Yes that's fine. Thank you." Another click as the phone was returned to it's cradle. "See? Easy as that. And it's all inclusive, no more nasty calls from Mr Amber."

"Not yet anyway." Max muttered. She tried to open her eyes again, but the same blinding light assaulted her, forcing her to keep them closed. "Chloe..."

"What's up?"

"I can't see."


	5. Blinded by Love

Chloe reacted exactly as Max expected, she panicked. Max would have prefered not to admit to the blinding light she kept seeing when opening her eyes, but it would be hard to hide if she kept her eyes shut all day.

"What do you mean you can't see?" Chloe said, trying to get the smaller girl to move so she could look at her eyes.

"I mean when I open my eyes all I see is a bright light of colours." Max responded, trying not to move too much.

"Lie back so I can check." Chloe demanded, pushing the girl off her and onto her back.

"Was there anything different last night?" Max asked as the bed bounced under her, then a blinding light assaulted her eyes as Chloe gently prised her eyelids apart. "That hurts." She tried to fend the girl off, but Chloe was much stronger than her.

"Different?" Chloe went quiet, possibly thinking, Max couldn't tell. You never knew how important it was to actually see somebody, until you couldn't. "Your eye was bleeding as well as your nose."

"Which eye?"

"Your right one. What do you remember?" She felt Chloe get off the bed, could hear her pacing around the room.

"On the last rewind, I felt pain behind my eyes as I stopped. Like a red hot poker had been stabbed into them." Max placed a hand to her right eye and tried to open her left. It wasn't as blinding as normal, she could just make out Chloe's outline pacing the room.

"We'll have to use the selfie and fix this." Chloe said.

"I can't use the selfie if I can't see. I have to be able to visually focus on it." Max said, covering up her left eye and trying to open the right. The results were strangely the same. Using both of her eyes was causing the blinding light.

"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck."

"Maybe it will pass?" Max hoped, resting her head on the pillows behind her.

"And if it doesn't? This isn't fair to you Max." The bed bounced as Chloe sat down on the end of it. There was a knock at the door. "That's probably our food."

Max kept her eyes closed and waited, she wasn't going anywhere until either her eyes healed or Chloe helped her. This was not what she was hoping for when visiting Portland. Their sightseeing plans were shot, Chloe and Rachel could enjoy the spa, but Max would be stuck in the room hoping her eyesight would improve before they had to leave.

"She's in the bedroom." She heard Chloe say.

"Oh my God Max, I am so sorry." Rachel said, Max felt her take hold of her hand.

"It's not your fault." Max tried to smile.

"Is there anything we can do? Should you use the selfie?" Rachel asked, sounding sincere.

"I can't see to use the selfie." Max repeated, somewhat annoyed by that knowledge.

"Oh shit. Well I'll stay with you all day, we'll play some games or something, keep your mind off it."

"No, I can't ask you to do that. Why don't you make use of the spa? Meet some new and interesting people for us?" Max really didn't want Rachel seeing her this way, and she was in no mood for the kind of games Rachel would play.

"Are you sure? I really don't mind staying with you both."

"Somebody has to enjoy this fine establishment your Dad paid for." Max smiled, she felt Chloe's weight on the bed beside her. Her sense of touch was picking up the slack of her sight in some ways.

"Only if you're sure." Rachel gave her hand a comforting squeeze, just like Chloe would do.

"I'm sure Rachel, plus I'll get some time with my girlfriend. And as I can't see her, I'll have to use touch to feel her." Chloe and Rachel both laughed.

"Perv." Chloe whispered in her ear.

"Alright then, text me if you need me Price." Rachel's hand left Max's.

"You know it." Chloe replied. Max heard the room door close. "Toast for you, m'lday." Chloe sniggered. Max sat up as Chloe rearranged her pillows for her, a plate was put in her lap.

"This is really awkward." Max said, feeling for the toast on the plate.

"I'm here for you Max." Chloe replied, kissing the brunette's cheek.

"So... tell me about that crazy week in Arcadia Bay." Max took a bite of the toast.

"Now?"

"Mhm."

"Where were we up to?" Chloe asked, wiping crumbs off Max's cheek.

"The day of the eclipse, if it still happened that way."

"Oh yeah, that day. Well you and Rachel had spent the night at mine." Chloe started.

"Blade Runner." Max recalled.

"Yep, and the next day we got breakfast at the diner. Rachel was hyped up about testing your new found powers."

"I bet you were too."

"'ow di' 'ou know?" Chloe said through a mouthful of her own toast.

"Because in my timeline you were the one who was extremely energetic about testing Mad Max's awesome superpowers." Max laughed.

"Maybe you should be the one telling the story." Chloe nudged Max's arm playfully. "Your timeline sounds like it was more fun."

"More crazy more like. Come on, continue."

"Well we obviously put you through a few tests, predicting the future, telling us secrets. Silly things like that. Making sure you could still do it. It was hella awesome, but you both had class that afternoon so we had to cut short our fun shit. While you were in class I tried doing some online research about your powers but didn't find shit, just a load of theories about the unexpected snowfall. It wasn't really as interesting as the first day, nothing major really happened. Except that eclipse, that really confused people." Chloe finished.

"Not like my timeline then." Max said, the image of Kate Marsh falling etched into her mind.

"What was the difference?" Chloe asked, sounding genuinely curious.

"Well we met at the diner, that was the same, but we did all our testing at the Junkyard, until your dealer Frank showed up and I almost shot him."

"You almost shot Frank? Holy shit! Where did you get the gun?"

"You'd stolen it from David's gun cabinet." Max said, brushing her chest down of the crumbs that had accumulated.

"I never did that this time."

"You weren't threatened in the bathroom by Nathan Prescott."

"Oh, good point. So what else?"

"I went back to class, but it wasn't held because..." Max went quiet, unable to get the vision of Kate falling out of her mind. It didn't help that she couldn't open her eyes and blind herself with Chloe's beauty. "Haven't I already told you all this? Why are we going over it again?"

"I was just trying to compare the differences, we don't have to go over it again if you don't want to."

"Did we spend the night at your house again that night?" Max asked, remembering the day after, when Chloe had made that dare. The dare that changed her life.

"No, we went to Rachel's." Chloe could probably see something in Max's features, because she continued. "Something happen I should know about?" Chloe asked carefully.

"Well... that was the night we broke into Wells office in my timeline."

"Okay?"

"We stayed at yours that night, and in the morning... you were in high spirits, we were messing around and for me..." Max swallowed, why was this so difficult? "That was the day you dared me to kiss you. And I did, and it confirmed just how I felt about you."

"I guess you never had September with me." Chloe said quietly. "Because during that month is when we first kissed, and I've never felt so... happy." Chloe admitted, Max could feel her body pressing closer.

"I wish I had the memories of that month." Max said, turning onto her side to be closer to Chloe, forgetting the plate on her lap. It dropped between them, though Chloe didn't seem to care.

"Is there anything you'd like to ask about it? We are alone, nobody will overhear."

"Did we ever..." Max coughed, she could feel her cheeks burning.

"Have sex?" Chloe finished. "No, never. To this day. I didn't want to push you into it." A weight seemed to lift from Max's chest, there was no expectation for something even she hadn't done. "Was that really worrying you?"

"Like you have no idea. I'd no clue how far Other-Max had gone"

"The furthest we have gone is here." Max felt Chloe's finger just above her stomach. "No further."

"She had far more confidence than me." Max almost laughed. "We never got past each others necks in my timeline."

"It just means you've got a lot of... exploring to do." Max could hear the smile in Chloe's voice just before their lips connected briefly.

"Not while I'm blind." Max said reluctantly. "Because I want to see how beautiful you are."

"Such a romantic." Max felt the bed shift again as Chloe got up, the clink of plates as she cleaned up their mess.

Max slunk back down the bed, listening to Chloe move around the room. She tried opening one eye at a time, but her eyesight hadn't improved much. She could make out the colour of Chloe's hair, the white vest top and underwear but details were still escaping her. Opening both eyes wasn't as painful, she could just see black blurs instead of the dizzying rainbow of colours. It gave her some much needed hope that her eyesight would return fully.

"What are you doing?" Chloe sounded worried.

"Checking my eyes." Max answered, looking towards Chloe.

"Any better?"

"Not as bad, they've improving. It feels like the pressure behind my eyes is easing off too." Max rubbed her temples, wondering if it could help.

"That's good. You may get to explore Portland before we leave." Max felt Chloe climb back onto the bed, the girl's warm breath against her neck. "I want you to wear this." She said.

"Wear what?" Max felt Chloe take her hands and place them on a thin strand around her neck. She ran her fingers down the cord until they touched the three bullets. Chloe's necklace. "I can't wear this Chloe, it's yours."

"It's ours." She replied, stopping Max from taking it off. "Whenever we're apart I want you to have something of mine, to remind you to come back to me."

"I don't know what to say Chloe."

"Don't say anything, just wear it."

The feeling of the bullets in her small hand triggered the memories of her nightmare, of the Dark Room, when she'd first recovered this necklace from the killer's desk after David had saved her life. She started to cry, the memories of that terrible night swimming through her mind. All of those she watched die on the streets of Arcadia Bay as she searched for one photo to save Chloe. She felt herself being pulled into the warm embrace of the girl she would sacrifice a town for, who she would sacrifice anything for, just to keep her safe.

"I've been having nightmares." She said through sobs.

"I know." Chloe replied, keeping the brunette tight in her arms.

"Last night, they were about the dark room again. You and Rachel... and Jefferson. Why am I so weak?" Max cried, her head in the crook of Chloe's neck.

"Don't you ever fucking say that Max. You are not weak. After everything you went through, everything you saw and felt and had to do, you still saved me. You saved Rachel."

"I can't even rewind time without fucking up my head." She felt Chloe's arms tighten, almost crushing the breath out of her.

"Maybe you just need to practice. You won't get better if you rarely use them. But Max..." The girl kissed her head lovingly. "Don't ever think you're weak. You are the strongest person I know."

* * *

Max wasn't aware of falling alseep in the loving arms of her girlfriend. She awoke slowly to the sound of conversation from the living area of their room, reluctant to open her eyes and become blinded by the light. The voices coming from beyond the bedroom were both female, though they were trying to be quiet. Rachel must have returned from the spa and was spending some time with her best friend. Max was happy to hear Chloe laugh, without the weight of worrying about her crippled girlfriend. The dark thoughts were scratching at her mind, held at bay by the weight of the bullet necklace pulling at her neck. She smiled at the unfamiliar weight, and nuzzled her face into the pillow, trying to wake up a bit more. She turned her head and opened her eyes instinctively. No pain assaulted her, there was no harsh light trying to blind her. The room was dark, but the curtains were open. She'd slept the day away.

Carefully she got out of bed, her muscles all aching though she didn't know whether it was from her rewinding the night before or how little she'd used them throughout the day. She stumbled into the living area, a smile spreading across her face as she saw Rachel's and Chloe's faces turn towards her. She could make out every detail on their concerned faces, which quickly turned to joy when they realised she was okay. Chloe was the fastest of of the couch, rushing to pick Max up in a massive bear hug, followed closely by Rachel who wrapped her arms around the two of them.

"You're okay?" Chloe asked, putting the small girl down and checking her eyes.

"No more pain." Max said, appreciating every inch of Chloe's beautiful face.

"That is awesome!" Rachel said, kissing her cheek. "I'm so sorry you suffered today."

"I had Chloe with me." Max smiled. "I couldn't have asked for more."

"Are you up for dinner?" Chloe asked. "We can get room service again if you want.

"Yeah, but let's go out. I need to get out of this room." Max leaned on Chloe, who helped her back into the bedroom to get dressed. Once again she wore the blue butterfly shirt, along with one of the new pairs of jeans they'd bought and her usual white jacket. Chloe was already dressed, but she switched to the monochromatic vest top just for Max.

"You sure about this?" Chloe asked, helping her with her shoes.

"I can't just stay in bed." Max said.

"But we can't have you passing out on us either." Chloe stood there, her hands on her hips. Defiant as always.

"I won't. I'll just need to lean you on a little bit." Max said, putting her hand out for help getting back up. Chloe smiled and pulled her up onto her feet.

"You two are so cute together." Rachel was stood in the doorway watching them, a smile on her lips. "Come on, you must be starved." She said, putting her arm out for Max to take as well. Max accepted, supported on both sides by her girlfriend and best friend.

* * *

"So there's Chloe, absolutely dumbfounded that this guy just paid her a fucking compliment after she smacked him across the face." Rachel laughed, her food hanging off her fork.

"Well the guy was a fucking idiot. I mean, who the fuck thanks you for a smack?" Chloe said, shaking her head.

"What idiot decides to eye up a hot piece of ass like yours, and then insult your tattoo?" Rachel asked. "That's just begging for it."

"Some guys don't appreciate style." Max added, nudging Chloe in the side so she would put her arm back around her.

"Yeah, and some are just fucking idiots." Chloe said, happily putting an arm around Max's waist and pulling her closer in the booth they were sharing. "At least he left us alone after that, I don't think I could have stayed out if he'd been leering over me all night."

Although Max had been feeling wiped out since they had arrived at the diner, she'd not let it ruin their night. She'd been happy listening to the two rebels share their stories over their meals and milkshakes, soaking up the knowledge of things Chloe had done without straight-laced Max in her life. They had so many experiences in just three years, getting into shows and parties they were supposed to be too young for. It helped her understand just why Mr Amber thought Max would be a voice of reason to these two crazy girls, but the truth was Max was happily being corrupted by them. If they told her to get a tattoo tonight she'd probably accept on the spot, despite being exhausted.

"Did you two always cause chaos everywhere you went?" Max asked, releasing the straw of her strawberry milkshake from between her lips.

"Well..." Rachel said, thinking.

"I think we did." Chloe answered, dunking the straw in and out of her own chocolate milkshake.

"Shit. I thought trouble just followed us everywhere." Rachel laughed, passing the bowl of fries to Max.

"No, you two are the trouble." Max said with a grin. "Trouble I am happy to be part of."

"Damn right." Chloe took a fry and happily munched on it.

"So what did your Dad agree to in the end?" Max asked.

"Well he hasn't told me to go home, which is good." Rachel said between mouthfuls. "But we need to leave less of a trail if we're going to get to LA without him finding out."

"So cash only?" Max asked, twirling a fry in her fingers.

"And I need to withdraw my savings before we leave Portland." Rachel had been giving it some thought again. "I don't want him using any of his favours to find out where I've been withdrawing money." She explained.

"Good idea." Chloe said. "I want to go shopping for something tomorrow, so we can withdraw your money then?" Max looked at her curiously, wondering what she wanted to buy.

"Sounds like a plan." Rachel said, finishing her meal.

"How much money do we have, together?" Max asked, feeling it was important to ask.

"I think I have enough for gas to get us to LA." Chloe answered, flicking the straw of her empty milkshake.

"My savings will cover us a couple of hotels for a few nights, no problem. But once we're there... I may have some trouble keeping us there." Rachel said, scratching her ear nervously.

"And I know I can cover our food expenses. But it sounds like once we reach LA we're going to be in trouble." The three of them went silent, they'd been so excited about getting there it had slipped their minds that they needed a way to actually stay there, or be able to move on.

Max knew she was going to regret her next few words one day. "I think I may withdraw some money tomorrow too." Rachel looked at her curiously. "We may need it."

"Max, are you sure?" Chloe asked, dropping her voice to a whisper. "What about your no cheating policy?"

"I didn't just knock myself out getting Mr Amber off our backs to give up when we get there." She whispered back. "Plus, it won't be hurting anybody." She looked at Rachel knowingly.

"As long as you're sure." Chloe smiled weakly, kissing her forehead.

* * *

When they returned to their hotel Max felt some of the strength in her limbs had returned. She didn't need to be held quite the same way, though wasn't about to move away from the comforting warmth of the taller blue haired beauty that she had the pleasure of being held by. Rachel had returned to her own room with an enthusiastic hug and kiss to both of her best friends, though Max was sure she spotted a mischevious wink directed at Chloe.

A deep primal part of Max was crawling up her insides, yelling into her ear to stop being so uptight. Max entered their room first, quickly taking off her jacket and shoes, then dropped her backside onto the couch. Chloe wasn't far behind, her loose vest top revealing that black bra she wore underneath.

"Be honest with me Max." Chloe said, her legs crossed but her body turned towards Max. "Are you sure you want to use your rewind to get money?"

"Until we get a legitimate way of earning some, I don't think I have much of a choice." She answered, resting her head on the back of the couch. "Like I said at the diner, I didn't just knock myself out helping Rachel to give up on our dream."

"Our dream?" Chloe asked, furrowing her brow in surprise. "Max, it's Rachel's dream to get to LA. I'm just happy being with you, wherever we go."

"I..." Max started wondering when she'd fallen into the trap, thinking they all shared this same dream. "I'm sorry Chloe, I didn't realise how..."

"Max." Chloe's hand was against her cheek, turning her face so they could look into each other's eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes that Max couldn't get enough of, that she could always get lost in. "What do you want most? What is your dream right now?"

So many answers ran around her head at that moment but everytime she came back to the same one. "You." She answered with a whisper. "I want you." Before Max could utter another word Chloe had moved across the couch and kissed Max, who was more than happy to reciprocate. She lay back, pulling the girl ontop of her by her waist, not about to miss this moment. Chloe's right hand remained on her cheek, but the left was working Max's shirt up to expose her midriff.

They may have been lost in their kiss, but they were more than able to explore each other's bodies. Max pulled up Chloe's shirt, reluctantly breaking their kiss to get it past her head where Chloe had the most striking smile on her face. She expected the kiss to continue, but the blunette had another idea, she sat back on her heels, pulling Max to sit up too and removed her shirt as well.

"You sure about this?" Chloe said, tracing a finger along Max's collarbone.

"If I say... let's take this to the bedroom... would that tell you how sure I am?" Max grinned.

"Fuck yes." Chloe smiled, their lips locked together once more. She stood up and pulled Max up off the couch, pulling her teasingly into the bedroom where she turned them around and pushed the brunette down onto the bed.

Max crawled backwards up the bed as Chloe crawled after her, pursuing her with a hunger on her beautiful features. Max knew she wore the same expression on her face, the one that was telling Chloe to pursue and claim her prize. She stopped as her head touched the pillows and the blue haired girl was upon her, kissing her lips with passion and love, every touch of her fingers sending electricity up Max's body. She ran her hands up Chloe's back, where they stopped on the clasp on her black bra. The kiss broke, their eyes locked on the other's. Chloe's were almost pleading with her, begging her to take it further. Max knew the look, she'd seen it for the briefest of moments when Chloe had been wearing just that towel in Max's bedroom. She'd already told her what she wanted, she wasn't backing out tonight.

* * *

Max woke up the next morning with her head on Chloe's bare shoulder, an arm over the girl's exceptional body. She ran her own leg up Chloe's, losing herself in the thrilling touch of skin against skin, no clothes inhibiting their prone forms. Chloe turned her head towards Max, her eyes were open and a smile was already on her perfect face.

"Morning gorgeous." Chloe said, placing a sweet kiss on Max's head.

"Morning beautiful." Max responded, kissing her neck. "Do we have to leave today?" She nuzzled in closer. "I want to stay here all day."

"So do I." Chloe started tracing that pattern on her arm again. "But we have to go shopping today before we carry on to San Francisco." Max wanted to ask about the pattern, but the trip was more important.

"How long until we get there?"

"It's over ten hours away, but without much money we'll just have to drive through, maybe swap over half way or something."

Max nibbled on Chloe's earlobe playfully while she talked. Then whispered quietly. "I love you Chloe."

"I love you too." She responded, tilting back Max's head so she could kiss her. They broke apart, a question on Max's lips.

"I have to ask something, because you keep doing it."

"Go on?" Chloe asked curiously.

"Why do you keep tracing the same pattern on my arm? And what is it?" Chloe laughed.

"I don't actually know what it is, but... it's like when you were tracing my tattoo? Just the sensation on my arm and I just... it's like I can see one on your arm and I'm just tracing it." She tried to explain. "I don't understand why but... do you want me to stop?"

"No." Max replied, looking across Chloe's body at the tattoo on her arm. That amazing roses tattoo. "I think I may have to get a tattoo one day, just for you to trace." Max sniggered. "Then you won't feel so silly." Chloe tapped her playfully on the arm.

"What kind of tattoo would you want?" She asked.

"It's cliché." Max answered.

"You can tell me."

"Well you see..." Max bit her bottom lip. "That day you were shot in the bathroom, the day I saved you for the first time, I saw a blue butterfly, even took a picture of it. And since then it kind of keeps... appearing. Our shirts are the most recent appearance."

"So you want a blue butterfly?" Chloe asked.

"I'm... tempted. Rather than always being followed by it, I can hold it close to me." She pulled on the bullet necklace, the one thing she'd refused to take off last night. "Sounds silly."

"No it doesn't, I like the sound of it. My own blue butterfly to trace." Chloe grinned. "To kiss." She planted a loving kiss on Max's exposed arm, then another on her shoulder, slowly moving up her body to her neck.

"I want to stay in bed." Max said as Chloe's body pressed against her own. They were just about to kiss when both of their phones bleeped, one after the other.

"And there's the mood killer." Chloe sighed.

"That girl... has the worst timing in the world." Max said, reaching over to her bedside table to grab her phone.

"Next time, we turn our phones off." Chloe reached for hers.

"And bar the door." Max opened her message first.

**Rachel:**

_Time to get your asses out of bed.  
_

"Cute." Max said, showing Chloe.

"Think that one is bad?" Chloe passed over her own phone.

**Rachel:**

_Stop banging the time traveller and get your ass out of bed._

"Does she know already?" Max asked handing the phone back.

"I bet she thinks she was joking." Chloe answered, sitting up and looking around for her clothes. "We should have brought the bags through." She finally said.

"It's not like we haven't seen each other naked now." Max said, sitting up and leaning against Chloe.

"But..."

"Before we go rushing around to get dressed." Max dropped her camera on the bed before them. "How about we make sure this moment is saved?" She grinned at Chloe.

"On one condition." Chloe smirked.

"Name it." Max picked up the camera, aiming it at them.

"It has to be of us kissing." She leaned in for the kiss and Max happily obliged. She snapped the shot without a second thought, then dropped the camera to continue kissing her girlfriend for just a little longer, their fingers running through each other's hair. Max tipped Chloe back onto the bed and quickly straddled her to make the most of the moment.

* * *

Max was just pulling on her shirt when Chloe opened the hotel room door to a rather annoyed looking Rachel. She was wearing her red and black flannel over a white shirt with her usual black leggings, the blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, but her eyes failed to disguise her annoyance.

"We should have left by now." She said stepping over the threshold, her travel bag over her shoulder. "What's taking you two so long?"

"We're just getting dressed." Chloe answered, stuffing her used clothes into her bag, her brown jacket thrown over the back of one of the chairs. "We had a bit of a... rough night."

"More nightmares?" Rachel asked, shooting Max an accusatory look.

"Actually, no. We just didn't get much sleep." Max said, pulling on her own brown jacket, having stuffed the white one into the bag for later.

"Oh." Rachel said. Then, "OH!" As she realised what they meant. "Sorry for intruding then."

"You weren't to know." Max said, passing her camera bag to Rachel for safe keeping. "Plus, we're not exactly shouting it from the rooftops."

"Well you should, I bet you two are hella hot in bed."

"I'm not answering that." Chloe said, pulling on her own jacket, her hand going to her neckline instinctively for her necklace, then spotting it around Max's neck.

"Got everything?" Max asked, picking up her travel bag and taking her camera bag back from Rachel.

"Yep, let's hit up that ATM and make tracks." Chloe said, taking Max's hand as they left the hotel room. They had a long trip ahead of them, it could take years but as long as Max had Chloe, she didn't mind.


	6. San Francisco!

 

 

 

Rachel withdrew her savings without a second thought, she was determined to go through with her plan. Max didn't try to stop her, after all she had already offered to use a rewind trick to give them access to an unlimited amount of money if they needed it. Chloe had left them to go shopping for something though didn't specify what, which left Max watching over the quick-to-action Rachel.

"I have a small idea." Rachel said as they left the ATM, the money stashed in her travel bag.

"Am I going to like it?" Max asked, already wary of Rachel's ideas.

"What if we could increase our current haul?" Rachel's eyes were alight with that mischevious fire again.

"We're not gambling." Max answered, trying to turn and walk away.

"No, not gambling. Here." Rachel handed Max her travel bag. They'd decided not to leave their things in the truck while they weren't with it. "Now... if you were to rewind and go to the ATM with me again." Rachel grinned. "Double our money."

"It's probably not a good idea to do that trick on the same ATM." Max argued. "It's not like the item I'm holding gets put back, it just... stays with me."

"Then let's rewind and find another ATM. We're not hurting anybody." Rachel was trying to put on the same puppy dog eyes Chloe had, though she couldn't quite pull it off the same way.

"Once, okay? No more. Consider it a test." Max relented.

"Deal."

Max raised her hand, tapped into that wonderfully mysterious power and rewound time again for Rachel, stopping just as Rachel approached the ATM. She rushed over to her and pulled her away.

"Rewind." She said quietly. "You asked me to, we're running the ATM test." She explained, hooking her arm around Rachel's and walking her down the quiet street.

"Oh shit... who's idea?" Rachel asked excitedly.

"Yours, and we're only doing it this once."

"Sounds good to me."

They found another ATM that didn't have many people near it and once again Rachel withdrew her savings, putting the money inside her travel bag along with the rest she'd withdrawn.

"That should be... about eight hundred dollars." Rachel said. "We'll probably need more if we've got to stay in San Francisco for more than a night."

"How much more?" Max hissed, not happy with how this plan was progressing.

"Three more times? To be safe?"

"We said once." Max said defiantly.

"Buuut... if we do it again we won't need to do it again for a while." Rachel pleaded. "Come on... we know it works... and we won't need to risk the wrath of my dad."

"Fine..." Max agreed. "Fine, but if you ask me to do it again after this, before we leave San Francisco... I'll kill you."

"Good deal." Rachel smirked. "Thank you Time Lady." She kissed her cheek just before Max started the next rewind.

Three more ATM rewinds later they finally returned to the truck though Chloe hadn't returned yet. They sat in the bed of the truck, breaking up a cookie they'd bought on the way back. Rachel had let her hair down out of the ponytail, the band wrapped around her wrist.

"So you and Chloe finally..." She started to say, smirking at the brunette.

"Yeah." Max said, embarrassed.

"How did it feel?"

Max wasn't sure how much she wanted to say, though the look in Rachel's eyes was hard to refuse. She was sincerely curious.

"Hella awesome." Max answered, using Rachel's vernacular. The selfie they'd taken that morning was stashed in her camera bag for safe keeping.

"You should get her something when we get to San Francisco, I'll even help you look for it if you want." The blonde offered, biting down on her half of the cookie.

"I wouldn't know what to get her. Althought I could find her a new necklace, as she gave me hers."

"I noticed you were rocking the three bullets now. It looks good on you."

"You're damn right they look good on her." Chloe said, coming around the side of the truck. "That's why I gave them to her." She dropped her travel bag onto the bed of the truck, but held onto another smaller bag.

"What'cha buy blue?" Rachel asked, jumping out of the truckbed.

"Something." Chloe answered secretively, unlocking the doors. "Let's go girls, we have a long ride ahead."

Max jumped down and planted a loving kiss on Chloe's lips. "You okay?" She asked, holding onto Chloe's neck.

"I have you, of course I am." Chloe answered, nuzzling Max's nose. "Now get your bony ass in the truck."

Max stuck out her tongue and licked Chloe's lips, then turned around and climbed into the truck through the driver's side. Rachel was already sat on the passenger side, a smile fixed to her face. Chloe climbed in afterwards, slamming the door shut.

"Let's go!" Rachel shouted.

* * *

Max was sad to leave Portland behind, they hadn't managed to go out and enjoy the sights like she'd wanted due to her rewind exhaustion after the first night. The only photo she had was the one of her and Chloe, but she wouldn't trade that for anything in the world. It was why she had decided to take that specific picture. If anything went wrong now and she needed the most recent selfie, it would be after the most wonderful night of her life. She wouldn't have to destroy a memory they shared.

They were two hours into the next stage of their trip when Rachel turned to Max, a serious look in her eyes.

"So... you told us that in your timeline your powers didn't come to you in the Junkyard?" Rachel asked.

"That's right. In my timeline I got the powers when Chloe was shot in the bathroom, although it wasn't like a simple rewind." Said Max, resting her head on Chloe's shoulder.

"What was it like?" Rachel twisted in her seat to get a better view of Max.

"More like... a hard reset. It even moved me back to the classroom. A normal rewind I stay where I start it."

"That's why you look like you're teleporting." Rachel nodded. "What happened before the bathroom?"

"I was in class and I had a... vision of the tornado. It's why I went into the bathroom, to splash my face and calm down."

"Just like what happened in this timeline, only there was no Nathan to shoot Chloe."

"Pretty much." Max placed a hand on Chloe's knee, worried about how this conversation could be making the girl feel.

"So why do you think you got your powers?" Chloe asked.

"Well... our theory in the other timeline when the tornado hit was... if I sacrificed you, Chloe, then the tornado wouldn't happen. We'd assumed that by not trying to save you, I wouldn't get my powers and I couldn't fuck up the timeline."

"So you could say... Chloe was the catalyst to your powers?" Rachel said, crossing her arms.

"I think so yeah. Or it was a blue butterfly being nice." Max laughed.

"Blue butterfly? Like the one on your shirt?"

"Yeah... there was a butterfly in the bathroom the day it all started, I'd taken a photo of it as well. I doubt that exists in this timeline."

"You're right, we didn't take any pictures while we were in the bathroom. I didn't notice a blue butterfly either."

"But if you had the vision before your first rewind, are you sure you weren't given the powers in class?" Chloe asked thoughtfully.

"Maybe the two aren't related?" Rachel answered. "You've not had any visions since the tornado, right?"

"Right. I only ever got visions of the tornado. Although I wouldn't know if Other-Max had any since then, she didn't mention any in the diary."

"So your visions may be connected to the tornado, while your powers are connected... to Chloe." Rachel said.

"I never thought of it like that." Max answered. "But my ability to photo jump seemed to manifest when I wanted to fix Chloe's life..."

"By saving my Dad?" Chloe glanced at Max, who nodded weakly.

"So both times your powers developed, Chloe was at the emotional heart of it." Rachel reasoned.

"But I didn't know it was Chloe in the bathroom, to start with." Max argued, though not sure why.

"But it was still Chloe, and you wanted to save her." Rachel smiled. "Max... I think your powers are tied to Chloe. Like she awoke something within you."

"That doesn't explain being able to freeze time."

"You can freeze time too?" Chloe asked. It struck Max that she may never have done that in this timeline, Kate Marsh hadn't needed saving.

"I did it to save Kate Marsh, in my timeline. But... it was more like an evolution of my rewind power."

"Evolution?" Rachel asked, her eyebrows raised.

"I was only trying to rewind, to stop her jumping, and it sort of... changed. I somehow managed to freeze time. But by the time I got up to the roof, I couldn't rewind, like I'd burned out my powers for a time. I had to talk Kate down, with no mistakes."

"You said you'd saved her, you never gave us this much detail." Rachel said. "What else didn't you mention?"

"There was a lot happening, if I missed anything out I'm really sorry."

"It's fine Max." Chloe answered before Rachel. "A lot happened that week, you can't be expected to remember every single detail with perfection." Max smiled and kissed Chloe's exposed tattoo.

"So, to recap your powers. You can rewind time, where you appear to teleport. You can use a picture of yourself to travel back to that moment and literally change the timeline if you choose. You've hard reset once, as you described it. And you can freeze time. You really are the Queen of Time." Rachel laughed.

"How much can you rewind at once?" Chloe asked.

"Well the other night, I was rewinding for over four hours." Rachel's jaw dropped. "But not all at once. I'd rewind the conversation and get to rest between each one. But... it still took it's toll."

"I didn't know you'd been rewinding so much." Rachel said. "Did you know Chloe?"

"I... saw her watch when I got her into bed. Compared it to my phone." Chloe shifted in the seat.

"Why didn't either of you tell me?" Rachel sounded hurt.

"I was blind for most of the day." Max answered, the weight behind her eyes a painful memory she was trying to forget.

"And I didn't want you to worry. You were already beating yourself up over her eyesight." Chloe said, her hand going to Max's knee.

"But you still could have told me how much we put her through." Rachel leaned over and pulled Max into a hug. "I'm so sorry you went through all that for me Max."

"It's okay." Max said, returning the hug tightly. "I couldn't let you go back to Arcadia Bay."

"Thank you." Rachel held her tight, an unbreakable bond had certainly been formed between them. "Do you think your powers could ever... evolve again?"

"In what way?" Max asked.

"Well... have you ever tried to take a person with you? Through time?" Rachel asked.

"No... never. I never... thought it would be possible, considering how much I struggle just to move myself sometimes."

"Maybe you should try it? What's the worst that could happen?"

"I'd hate to find out what the worst thing could be." Max laughed.

"What about being able to hard reset on command?"

"What? Like back to when I was blind?"

"Or any time. Instead of influencing the timeline through one defined event, you could influence the entire timeline as much as you wanted. Tailor time to what you see fit."

"That would be a lot of responsibility." Max admitted, finally moving away from Rachel to once more lean against Chloe.

"Responsibility you already have with those photo jumps, only you wouldn't have to risk it all to chance. I mean... you weren't to know that Chloe would have stayed in Arcadia Bay."

"Chloe told me she would if she heard from me. It's why I called." Max countered, she was treading old ground.

"But you couldn't predict everything that could happen is what I mean. You had to leave a lot to chance."

"That is true." Max said, trying to distract herself from some of her darker thoughts by tracing Chloe's tattoo. "A lot could have gone wrong. I just had to hope." She admitted.

"It worked out in the end." Chloe offered.

"This time." Max couldn't help but feel as though she'd got very lucky. Rachel was right, she had to leave a lot to chance when she used a photo jump. Though she never intended to do such a distant jump again, like returning to the past to save William or Rachel. Too much would rely on the actions of others and she couldn't bear a timeline that removed the two girls from her life now.

"Maybe... if I practice... I can improve my powers." Max said quietly. "It's not like using them has caused another tornado."

"That could be fun." Rachel smiled. "You never know what your limits are unless you keep pushing them."

"I do wonder though... if my watch still measures time, does that mean I'm still growing older when I rewind? Will I be older than both of you if I rewind enough? Or does it only effect my mind?"

"I never thought of that." Chloe said. "Though you'd have to live an extra year in rewind to our year... if that's how it works."

"I doubt we'd notice the effects until we're much older." Max said.

"Or you get a grey hair." Rachel sniggered. "Old Lady Max."

"If I can trigger and master the hard reset, I'll never have to worry about getting old." Max stuck her tongue out at Rachel.

"Holy shit... you could live forever!"

"That's a chilling thought." Chloe said. "Reliving our lives over and over again with an older and older Max." Max cringed inwardly at the thought of forcing Chloe to keep living just because she refused to let her go, only to realise that is exactly what she had been doing throughout the week of the tornado. Everytime Chloe had died, Max found a way to save her again, forcing her to live on. What would she do if Chloe died from old age? Or an incurable disaese? Would she spend years on repeat trying to find a cure, or keep hard resetting so she could be with her?

Chloe placed her right arm around Max and held her close, her dark mood must have been evident to elicit such a response, especially as she was still driving. Max accepted the comforting gesture, though wished it could be more. She tried to concentrate on the loving feelings from the previous night, an emotion to embrace and become lost in while she felt so doubtful of her choices.

"Let's find a place to get a burger and switch over." Rachel said, noticing Max's need for her girlfriend.

Chloe took them off the pacific highway into the city of Grants Pass, pulling into the closest gas station to fill up the truck. She gave Max a brief kiss on the head before getting out, leaving her with Rachel. The blonde was leaning on the dashboard looking at the multiple choices of restaurants close by, no doubt trying to decide where she wanted to eat.

"What do you think Max? Burger?" The girl asked.

"That sounds good." Max answered, not really thinking about it.

"What's up sweetie?" Rachel asked, scooting over to put a comforting arm around Max.

"Just... dark thoughts." She said quietly, casting a glance out the window at Chloe who was staring at the gas pump watching the numbers tick over.

"Talk to me, what's on your mind?"

"I..." She swallowed hard, this was not an easy thing to admit. "I don't want to keep forcing Chloe to live because of me. I can't imagine my life without her, but will I always rewind just to keep her alive? Even if she dies from old age? Would I learn to hard reset just so I can live our lives together again?" She wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her jacket.

"Old age is a pretty long way off for Nineteen year old Chloe Price, Max." Rachel said with a polite smile. "I don't think it's something you need to be worrying about right now." Max smiled at the truth behind those words. "And from my point of view, I'm really happy that you forced me to continue living, considering the alternatives." Max couldn't help but laugh at that. She had changed time to ensure Rachel lived too, they were both victims of Max's timeline interventions.

"If I didn't know you better, I'd think you were after my girlfriend." Chloe said, getting back into the truck.

"Oh you know we've been kissing when your back's turned." Rachel retorted. "She can't get enough of me."

"I'd believe that if I didn't know Max couldn't lie to save her little butt."

"Good point." Rachel said, releasing Max and sitting back against the door.

"Where are we eating then?" Chloe asked, resting her hands on the wheel.

"That one." Rachel said, pointing out the window at a burger restaurant.

"I'm buying this time." Max said, eying Rachel suspiciously. "In case you had any other ideas."

"I'd never." Rachel replied putting on an innocent expression.

* * *

An hour later, their stomach's full and Max's savings a little emptier, they had set off again onto the Pacific Highway with Rachel at the wheel. The first time Max had seen her drive Chloe's truck. It was a welcome change to be able to cuddle into her girlfriend as the landscape passed them on either side. The three sat in silence, content to enjoy each other's company without the need for speech, though Max and Chloe were conversing in more physical touches. A soft nuzzle on Max's head, or a kiss on Chloe's shoulder. Fingertips on Max's arm, making that pattern. They were almost lost in their own little world together, cherishing every touch and second they had together. Though they tried not to make Rachel uncomfortable with their displays of affection.

Another hour passed, but for Chloe and Max it only felt like minutes. Max didn't need her powers to control time when she was in Chloe's embrace, it seemed to speed up without reason, taking away all those precious minutes just because they were so content. Max closed her eyes peacefully and put her head on Chloe's chest, listening to her heartbeat's rhythm. It increased slightly at Max's more intimate presence which made her smile.

"Would you two like a room?" Rachel said, a smile evident in her voice.

"When we get to SF, yes please." Max replied, refusing to move.

"We've got another four hours or so yet."

"What time will we get there?"

"Late." Chloe answered.

"We booked rooms, right?" Max asked.

"Not this time, but we have the cash." Rachel responded. "We'll stay for longer than we did in Portland though."

"Awesome. I want to get some shots of you two to commemorate our trip." Max said, moving a little closer to Chloe's ear. "And especially more time with you." She whispered with a cheeky smile.

"You're on Max." Chloe smiled, kissing her lips sweetly.

"But we have to get some pictures of you as well. This is your trip too." Rachel said.

"And who's going to take those?" Max said, having broken her kiss with Chloe.

"I will of course. I'm pretty good with a camera too!"

"I'm not very photogenic though."

"Bullshit." Said Chloe. "Pictures of you are absolutely brilliant."

"Well you would say that." Max said. "You like my bony ass."

"She's got you there Price." Rachel laughed loudly.

"At least back me up Rachel." Chloe said tapping Rachel's arm.

"She is right though Max. You do look good in our pictures." Rachel took the hint. "So no more complaining, or you're sleeping in the truck." Max laughed, pulling herself back into Chloe's embrace.

"You win. Fine." She sighed. "I could definitely fall asleep right now."

"Feel free, you're not going to miss much." Chloe said, pulling her jacket out of the footwell and putting it around Max.

"You really wear her out." Rachel sniggered.

"I'm just that good." Chloe replied cheekily. Max poked her sides, causing Chloe to squirm in her seat. "No tickling Max!" Max stopped, a large smile on her face.

"Just checking." She said quietly, her eyes closed.

"Checking what?" Chloe asked.

"That you're still ticklish. It's important information." Max grinned, she could hear Rachel laughing.

"You've got your hands full Chloe." The blonde said.

"I wouldn't change it for the world." Chloe replied, nuzzling the top of Max's head as the small girl drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The truck bumped along the road, jarring Max from her dreams and waking her up. She opened her eyes, cuddling the body she was still snuggled into. The sky beyond the truck's windows was black, broken only by the highway lights as they sped past. She felt different, more energised than normal. The nap seemed to have done her some good.

"How long have I slept?" She asked, rubbing her eyes.

"We're in Berkeley." Rachel answered, far closer than Max was expecting.

"I'm... cuddling you aren't I?" Max asked, now aware of the red and black flannel shirt.

"Yeah, but it's okay." Rachel said, stroking Max's hair.

"Why aren't you Chloe?"

"I told you." She heard Chloe laugh from the drivers seat.

"You switched on me." Max said, a frown on her face.

"We didn't want to wake you, you looked so cute." Said Rachel, patting Max's hand. "And I was getting tired driving, so Chloe offered to switch."

"I hate you both." Max muttered, not really meaning it. She remained cuddled up to Rachel, too comfortable to move right away. "Where are we staying?"

"Near the bay." Chloe said. "I've seen your little stash of cash so it shouldn't be a problem."

"I'm sorry, I should have told you." Max tried to sit up properly but Rachel wouldn't let her.

"I already told her it was my idea." Said Rachel soothingly.

"I'm not mad Max, it's fine. In fact, it's hella cool. Not having to worry about upsetting our parents or living out of shitty motels." Chloe sounded cheerful.

"I'm just glad you're not mad at me for not telling you." Max said, relaxing into Rachel once more.

"Of course not!" Chloe said reassuringly.

"You worry too much Max." Rachel added. "We keep telling you not to." Max didn't know what to say, instead remaining silent as they moved onto the Oakland Bay Bridge. Rachel finally let her go so she could look out of the window onto the dark bay to their right.

"We're almost there now." Chloe said, grinning at Max.

"Fuck yes." Max muttered.

The remainder of the journey over the Yerba Buena Island was mostly in silence, with a few cheers from Rachel when she saw the city lit up ahead of them. Max couldn't wait to get into the city the next day when they could go exploring properly. She really wanted to go up to Vista point and get some shots of the Golden Gate bridge and the Pacific, especially if Chloe and Rachel would pose for her. They were barely off the bridge when Chloe turned right off the highway then left and into the city proper, between the high rise buildings either side of the street. They made another right and Max could see the Ferry Building lit up ahead.

"So... where are we staying again?" She asked.

"If they have rooms available, here." Chloe said, pulling off the road into the parking lot. Rachel was the first out of the truck and was already heading towards the front foors with her travel bag slung over her shoulder when Max and Chloe had got out.

"Hurry up!" She yelled excitedly.

"At least we don't have to deal with Daddy-dearest this time." Max said, to a small laugh from Chloe as they retrieved their bags.

"Hopefully, never again." Chloe said, taking Max's hand tightly in her own.

"So Chloe... what are we going to do when we get to LA?" She asked as they walked through the lobby doors, the blonde girl already rushing towards the check in desk.

"Rachel wants to try to be a model..." Chloe started to say, but Max stopped her.

"Not Rachel, us. You and me. What should _we_ do?" She put heavy emphasis on the word 'we'.

"Don't you want to stay in LA?"

"I'm happy wherever you want to be, but I need a plan. Should I try to be a photographer? Will I have to leave you to try to study that again?" Max stopped her in the lobby while they waited for Rachel and held the girl she loved by the hips, looking into those big blue eyes. "I don't want to be without you Chloe, ever. I want a plan for our future... because the only future I want is one with you."

"Let's get our room, and... we can start making our plan." She replied, tears evidently appeared in her eyes. She pulled on Max's hand to get walking again. Rachel was already waiting, once again holding two keycards.

"Tell me you didn't spend all the money." Max said.

"I spent all the money." Rachel shrugged, handing Chloe a room key.

"You're really enjoying getting two rooms, aren't you?" Chloe asked.

"Giving you two as much space as you need to get it out your systems. And I don't have to walk into the room with my hands over my eyes." Max went red, Rachel was already laughing. "And this way if I meet any interesting people..." She wiggled her eyebrows playfully, a mischevious grin on her lips.

"That is an image I'd like to forget." Max muttered as they approached the elevators.

"That's a lie Max!" Rachel said, putting her arm around Max.

"You're getting better at them." Chloe grinned.

"Are you sleeping on the floor tonight Chloe?" Max retorted, though she was still smiling.

"I'd... rather not." Chloe replied as they got into the first available elevator.

"Better treat me right then." Max winked. An energy was building in her heart, pure and joyful. She didn't understand where it was coming from, but it was making her more confident.

"You've been told Price." Rachel tried not to laugh.

"You better be careful too, or I'll be the one cutting you off." A dark shadow seemed to pass over Rachel's face, but she quickly hid it.

"I'll treat you like a Goddess, Max Caulfield." Rachel said, kissing her cheek sweetly.

"That's what I like to hear." Max grinned, pulling her two girls out of the elevator when it reached the right floor.

"You have a very bossy girlfriend tonight." She heard Rachel whisper to Chloe, though chose to ignore it.

"Is it bad that I wanna see where this leads?" Chloe whispered back, causing a smile to break out on Max's face.

"See you later." Max called out when Rachel stopped by her room door.

"Night girls!" Rachel shouted back.

"Night!" Chloe said, keeping a tight grip on Max's hand as she was almost dragged to their room. "What's got into you?" She asked as she opened their hotel door for Max, who was quickly over the threshold, dropping her bags and jacket on the floor in a small pile.

"I just feel... so... alive!" She replied, spinning on the spot. Her heart and mind were telling her to run with the energy, to embrace it.

"You've slept too much." Chloe laughed, dropping her bag and jacket with Max's and nudging the door closed.

"Actually..." Max whispered, placing her hands on Chloe's shoulders just as she'd done back in Chloe's bedroom for the dare. "I know what I want in my life..." Chloe's hands found her hips, just as she wanted. "And saying it again in the lobby reminded me of last night." She bit her bottom lip, her eyes raking in Chloe's beautiful features.

"I thought you wanted to make our plans for LA?" Chloe asked, though Max could see her eyes following the same motions, taking in all of her features.

"Oh I do..." Max said, slowly leading Chloe towards the king size bed. "I want to know what we're going to do with our lives..." Another step towards the bed.

"What do you see us doing?" Chloe was following Max's movements, though her hands were slowly moving around to Max's lower back.

"I want us to live, Chloe Price, I saved your life so we could live." Max felt the back of her legs touch the bottom of the bed and almost fell back onto it. "I want our lives to be full of joy, and love and this energy I feel tonight."

"I will go wherever you want to go Max. I... don't ever want to lose you again." Chloe admitted, her lips brushing against Max's. "Max... I would do anything for you."

"I have changed time for you Chloe, I have the changed the world... and I would do it again." They kissed lustfully, desiring to be as close to one another as they had the night before. Max pulled the beanie from Chloe's head and threw it across the room, then ran a hand through the blue locks.

Every item of clothing removed heightened Max's energetic feelings, every touch from Chloe sending a spark of electricity to this blue bubble that was gradually growing stronger. She didn't want the feeling to end, tugging Chloe's jeans off with reckless abandon so they ripped more across the knees. Chloe lifted her bodily, her hands under her ass and dropped her down into the centre of the bed, her lips all over Max's collarbone. She closed her eyes, her senses heightened from the brush of her girlfriends lips. She placed a hand on Chloe's jawline and pulled her up into another kiss, an arm wrapped around the blunette's waist. The kiss broke apart, the energy bubble popped, but something felt different. The world around them had taken on the same look and feeling as when she froze time.

She panicked, she'd had no control over it, she hadn't done this.

"Oh fuck." She said.

"Max... what did you do?" Chloe asked, looked around them.


	7. Evolution

"I didn't do this!" Max said, keeping an arm around Chloe. "I don't have the power to do this!" She was afraid of letting go of her, in case she slipped out of the time bubble, or whatever it was.

"Then how?" Chloe asked, but Max was shaking her head in confusion.

"I don't know. When I woke up in the truck I felt... different... energised." She explained, trying to scramble up the bed without releasing Chloe.

"And that was it?" Chloe followed Max, her own hands on Max's body, clearly afraid of slipping out of the frozen time too.

"No... it was building after I told you what I wanted in the lobby, getting stronger. And then when we were kissing it... it felt wonderful, encompassing, pure..." She didn't know how to describe it. "It was like a small blue glow in my chest, a bubble... I... I don't know Chloe." She was almost crying, she was afraid, what if she couldn't undo it? Chloe was already scrambling to embrace her panicking girlfriend, wrapping her up tightly in her arms.

"It's okay... shhh... we'll work it out." Chloe whispered, though Max knew her eyes were scanning the frozen space around them. "Max... is this what you see when you rewind?"

"This... is when it's frozen."

"Oh fuck..." Chloe muttered. "You aren't getting tired?"

"No..." Max murmured. "No, it doesn't feel like it's coming from me. Just holding time like this before was... painful, exhausting."

"If I let go of you... will I... freeze?"

"I don't know, I think so. But please don't let go, I don't want to be trapped like this alone!" She begged, tears trickling down her cheeks.

"I won't leave you Max." Chloe whispered, kissing Max's head.

Max tried to focus on her powers, to resume time or rewind it, something to get them out of this state. The powers felt out of reach, as though they were a great distance away from her, locked behind the barrier of the very same time freeze they found themselves in. She couldn't understand why she couldn't end it, why it wasn't coming from her. Was there another time traveller? Somebody else pausing the world at this moment in time? She closed her eyes, trying to listen to Chloe's heartbeat to concentrate on that. To concentrate on the girl she had trapped with her.

"You said in the truck... that your powers awoke when you were feeling emotional." Chloe said, recalling their earlier conversation.

"We said they could be emotionally connected to you. Saving your life, trying to change your life."

"Me..." Chloe whispered. "This energy, it was building as we..." Max nodded into her chest, refusing to open her eyes. "What were you thinking as we kissed?"

"I... I was thinking how I didn't want this moment to end." Max admitted, opening her eyes to look into Chloe's. "How I wanted to live in this moment with you."

"Max... I..." Chloe kissed her lovingly. "This power, this moment. I think it's us."

"Us?" Max asked, confused.

"I was thinking the same thing as you, I didn't want this moment to end. I wanted it to last forever and the next thing I know... look around us."

"But... I don't feel tired." Max said.

"Neither do I... but it can't be a coincidence that we were both wanting this to last forever, and your powers activated to actually give us that."

"But I can't end it... we're stuck."

"What if I let go? If it's because of us, could that end it?"

"I don't know Chloe, I don't want to try it and be stuck here without you." Max pleaded.

"Trust me Max." Chloe smiled.

She almost yelled out as Chloe let go, breaking their physical connection entirely. The world returned to normal around them, the colours of the world reaffirming themselves as time continued. They sat on the bed together, looking at the world as a normal person would see it.

"Holy fucking shit, it worked." Chloe quietly said.

"So we... stopped time together?" Max was confused, she'd never experienced this before, didn't even think it was possible. She placed a testing hand on Chloe's bare leg to see if the freeze would happen again, but nothing changed. "How the fuck..."

Chloe jumped off the bed, rushing over to the small bag she'd kept with her since Portland. She opened it and laughed quietly, then quickly closed the package again. Max watched as the half naked blunette sauntered back to the bed, her hands behind her back.

"There's something I should give you, I was trying to wait for the right time, but maybe this is it after... that."

"I don't think this is the time for... things... when my powers have just surpassed my levels of belief." Max almost laughed, but the memory was too real. She pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging them close.

"This is the perfect time for this one." Chloe sat on the bed in front of Max, and placed a medium sized box infront of the confused brunette. "It'll make sense when you open it."

"Chloe... I..." Max started to say, but she was cut off.

"Open it, please." Max reluctantly picked up the box and flicked it open. Inside were two perfectly identical black watches on black bracelets that matched Chloe's normal accessories, both reading the exact same time. Max compared the time to the watch she wore. Hers was almost an hour ahead.

"These are... awesome." Max said, running a finger over the timepieces.

"Here." Chloe handed Max her phone, which had been in her jeans when the time freeze happened. Max compared it to the two new watches, Chloe's phone was only ten minutes faster.

"We... really did freeze time, together." Max was stunned, it had only been a theory in the truck, but now it was reality.

"I got them, one each, so we could always compare time when you had to rewind. I could be your control piece." Chloe smirked. "To measure your time traveling." Max took off her old watch and took the smaller of the two new ones. She froze as she saw the inscription on the inside.

_Chloe and Max, Partners in Time_

She took the other watch and looked at it's inscription.

_Max and Chloe, Partners in Crime_

"These must have cost you." Max said, staring down at the inscriptions, tears forming in her eyes once more.

"Worth every penny." Chloe said, helping Max to put hers on. Max returned the favour by helping Chloe.

"You know what I want to do now?" Max grinned, taking Chloe's left hand in her right.

"Test your power?" Chloe asked with a smile.

Max threw the empty box across the suite and just as it hit the floor to bounce away she tried to freeze time. Chloe gasped, Max felt a little more tired, but the box was frozen before them in mid bounce. She looked at Chloe, who looked right back at her, their hands held tight.

"Are you..." Max started to say.

"I'm here Max." Chloe said, moving closer to kiss Max's cheek. "So much for the control watch." She laughed.

"This is... unreal. It was just a theory." Max was in awe, it had happened so quickly, so unexpectedly.

"We said strong emotions." Chloe said, moving closer to her. Max thought she'd be looking around a frozen world, instead the punk only had eyes for her.

"This... changes everything." Max muttered, turning to Chloe and kissing her softly.

"This is fucking awesome." Chloe replied. "Try to rewind?" She asked. Max was more than happy to try, to discover if that would work too. The box hit the floor and arced back towards them, then stopped as Max reapplied the freeze. Her strength waned further.

"Did you see that?" Max asked.

"See it? That was fucking incredible! Oh my fucking God!" Chloe said. But Max became concerned, Chloe's nose was starting to bleed. She released the power without hesitation.

"What's up?" Chloe looked confused.

"Your nose."

"What?" She dabbed at the blood. "Oh shit..."

"I think it draws from both of us when we do that together." Max said, handing her a tissue from the bedside table.

"Fuck knows, but we're going to have to run tests, lots of tests." Chloe said, holding the tissue to her nose.

"Well..." Max smirked.

"So much for the moment." Chloe laughed.

"It doesn't have to be over so soon." Max said, helping Chloe clean away the traces of blood from her nose.

"Oh?" Chloe whispered, her eyes on Max's lips once again.

"Well you just gave me a beautiful gift." Max pushed Chloe down onto the bed, the tissue discarded to the floor with everything else they didn't want getting in their way. "And I can't just roll over and fall asleep, knowing you can share my powers now." It was Chloe who crawled backwards up the bed this time, with Max pursuing her instead.

"Who could say no to you?" Chloe pulled Max onto her. Their lips connected once more, their emotions pouring into the connection. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Chloe woke the next morning to the view of the San Francisco bay just outside their floor to ceiling windows. Last night's events were etched in her mind like one of her graffiti's on a door, crystal clear and inspired. Sharing in Max's much talked about abilities was more than she ever could have asked for, like a wall that had divided them had been removed. She stayed in bed, lying on her front as she felt gentle fingers running up her spine. She turned her head away from the Bay view, into the eyes of Max Caulfield, who had the cheesiest grin on her sweet face.

"Good morning beautiful." Max whispered, leaning in to give Chloe a soft kiss.

"Morning gorgeous." Chloe replied, smiling as the brunette pulled away. "Sleep okay?"

"Mhm, dreaming about you." Max replied, rolling onto her back and pulling the covers up over her chest.

"I can't believe last night happened." Chloe said, turning onto her side so she could admire the girl beside her. She'd explored that beautiful body from head to toe, and still she wanted to know more.

"Part One, or Part two?" Max said, a hand going to the bullet necklace she'd kept on since Chloe had given it to her.

"Part One. I can't believe we can do that together now."

"I've been thinking about that actually. I want you to try something..."

"What?" Chloe asked curiously

"When I use my powers, I have to tap into it, I sort of use my hand to channel it but I've been trying not to do that. I want you to... try." Max explained.

"You want to know if I have those powers too, or whether they only come from you?" Chloe rolled onto her back, thinking about what Max was asking her to do.

"Yeah. It's okay if it doesn't work though." Max added hastily.

"Okay, yeah... here it goes." Chloe said, imitating Max by raising her left hand and trying to focus on rewinding time. She raised her eyebrows, trying to make something happen, but time kept on ticking by. She dropped her arm back onto the bed. "Nope. I got nothing."

"That means..." Max took hold of her left hand, and the world froze around them once more. Chloe felt the same sting as the night before that had caused her to gasp, a pull on her energy that she couldn't explain. She didn't feel as tired as last time though, like she was more prepared for the effect. It was still an awesome sensation.

"The power is yours Max. I just get to share it." Chloe said, rolling back onto her side but keeping the physical connection between them. "I don't want them anyway... I'd end up robbing a bank or something."

"I can believe that." Max laughed. "Or you'd rob a liquor store."

"That actually sounds like a good idea." Chloe said, slipping a leg over Max's prone form so they could release hands. "Are you concentrating to maintain this?" She asked, wondering how it worked.

"Not quite. Unlike the first time, I can feel the connection to me, I know I can break it but... I'm not. Does that make sense?" Max's hand went to Chloe's bare leg, carressing her smooth skin with her fingertips. Chloe bit down on her bottom lip.

"I can feel it too. Like it's taking both of us to maintain it." She pressed her body against Max's, getting as close as possible to the girl she loved.

"There is one awesome advantage." Max said, resting her head against Chloe's collarbone.

"What's that?"

"Rachel can't interrupt us like this."

"That is so true." Chloe laughed, they wouldn't ever have to worry about Rachel ruining their moment if they put themselves in frozen time.

"I should get a shower." Max said, releasing the power to allow time to continue. "Can't get a shower if the water won't fall." She laughed, kissing Chloe's cheek.

Chloe couldn't help but watch Max get out of bed and gather up her toiletries from the bags they'd discarded last night. There was something about the petite girl that set her nerves on fire. After all the shit Max had gone through in the other timeline, she'd still chosen to save her life, and then apparently at her request saved Rachel too. If it had been her, she didn't think she would have been able to do it, to save another person with the risk of losing the one she loved. She lay back in bed listening to the shower run, thinking about the things they were going to do today. Max wanted to take photos, lots of photos, and she was going to end up in some of them. She scrunched up her nose, she was going to need a shower too if she was expected to pose. She sat up and looked around for her phone, noticing it lying on the floor near the bottom of the bed. Snatching it up she saw she had a text from Rachel.

**Rachel:**

_When are we hitting the sights?  
_

_Text me._

_Stop kissing._

_For fucks sakes you two._

Chloe laughed, Rachel knew them too well. She wrote a quick response.

**Chloe:**

_Grabbing showers, see you in 30.  
_

Rachel's response was quick.

**Rachel:**

_Don't keep me waiting, you have a time traveler, which means no excuses!  
_

She threw her phone on the bed and looked towards the bathroom door, wondering if Max would mind sharing so they wouldn't take as long. Max was always leading the charge with their relationship, first Rachel's dare, then their cuddling and making out, even their first night of passion. For the first time, Chloe decided to take the initiative. She went to grab her things out of her bag and noticed they were already gone, Max had been sneaky and taken them too. The bathroom door was also ajar. Max still had the initiative after all. Chloe stepped timidly into the bathroom, her nerves fluttering.

"Took you long enough." Max said smiling. She put a hand out for Chloe, who took it without reservation.

Max pulled her into the shower and kissed her lips softly.

* * *

With only minutes to spare before they were supposed to meet Rachel, Max was hopping on the spot trying to pull her right shoe on. Chloe was already stood at the door, laughing at the small girl.

"Come on!" Chloe said, tapping her watch impatiently.

"It's not my fault you took so long to get in the shower." She replied, grabbing her camera bag off the floor and slinging it over her brown jacket.

"You didn't leave a note." Chloe retorted, opening the door as Max approached and pushing her through it.

"I shouldn't have to leave a note, you should have seen me taking your things."

"I was distracted." Chloe said, taking hold of Max's left hand.

"Bullshit, you were perving again."

Rachel's room door opened as they approached. The blonde had her hair down today, her red and black shirt tied around her waist, showing off her white vest top.

"Holy shit, you're actually on time for once." Rachel said, seeing them approaching.

"You were right, I have a time traveler, I have no reason to be late." Chloe smirked knowingly at Max.

"There's something different about you two." Rachel said, taking hold of Chloe's other hand as they walked towards the elevators. "It's not... that... because Max can't lie. But there's something..."

"We'll tell you in the truck." Max replied happily.

"Did you get engaged or something?" Rachel said, pulling Chloe's left hand up to check her ring finger.

"We're not engaged." Chloe said, holding up Max's hand to prove it. Rachel spotted the watches on their wrists though.

"Oh! You gave her the watch?" They entered the elevators and remained quiet, surrounded as they were by other guests of the hotel.

Rachel stood slightly closer to Max, when the doors opened she took hold of the brunette's left hand so she could inspect the watch more closely, forcing Chloe to hold Max's other hand instead. "Oh it looks so good on you Max." Rachel said.

"You knew she'd bought them?" Max asked, surprised.

"Oh yeah. We ordered them back in Seattle." Rachel answered with a grin. "Chloe wanted to get you something nice."

"How did you pay for them?" Max said, then remembered Mr Amber's credit card. "You didn't charge them to your Dad again?"

"What? Fuck no Max. I didn't want a repeat of that night."

"Rachel loaned me the money. She withdrew it when she was enjoying her spa day." Chloe said quietly. "I couldn't afford them otherwise." Now it made sense, Rachel had already withdrawn some of her savings before their ATM spree.

"Not a loan, a gift. You both deserve it! I don't want paying back for that." Rachel said once they left the hotel, heading for the truck. "You're my best friends, and I love seeing you both so happy!"

"Thank you Rachel." Max said, stopping at the truck to hug the blonde tightly. "But that isn't everything." Max opened the passenger door and jumped in, Chloe was already in the drivers seat.

"What else happened?" Rachel asked, climbing in and closing the door.

"Max and I were having a bit of... fun..." Chloe blushed. "And she may have... frozen time for a bit."

"That must have been awkward, losing control and freezing Chloe mid... fun." Rachel grinned, using Chloe's choice of words.

"I froze time... but Chloe was with me." Max said feeling awkward.

"What... like... she was seeing the world frozen, like you do?" Rachel asked, her mouth agape.

"And in rewind too." Chloe added, clearly trying not to laugh at Rachel's face.

"Oh... my... god." Rachel leaned back. "Hang on, before we start moving and you risk leaving Max sitting in the middle of the road without a truck... could we try that?"

"You want to try being in a freeze time with me?" Max asked.

"Fuck yes. Shit Max I've been watching you do it for so long, and now Chloe's got to do it, I wanna see too!"

Max looked to Chloe first, who nodded. "Give it a shot Max."

"Okay." Max took hold of Rachel's hand. "Freeze or rewind?"

"Rewind, but first... Chloe, tell me a secret." Rachel said with a grin.

"I... don't have any secrets from you." Chloe said.

"Okay, tell me something about Max, that I don't already know"

"Max eventually wants a butterfly tattoo."

"Okay Max, let's do it." Max squeezed Rachel's hand and tried to tap into her powers. It felt sluggish, like something was keeping her anchored in the present. She tried to push past the block, rewind time around them, but it wasn't budging.

"I can't do it." She admitted, releasing Rachel's hand.

"Try without me, rewind to before she tells me your butterfly fetish."

Max tried again, this time it felt fluid and easy. She felt the shift of time as she turned it back, stopping just before Chloe opened her mouth.

"Don't tell her." She said, turning on Chloe.

"You rewound without me?" Rachel asked, confused.

"I can't rewind with you, it's like a solid block stops me moving you out of the flow of time." Max explained, turning back to Rachel. "I tried, I really did, but... it was like this anchor holding me in the present. You told me to try without you, and it worked no problem."

"So... you can only use your time powers on Chloe?" Rachel said, looking defeated.

"It's like... she contributes to the ability, making it easier." Max took Rachel's hand, trying to comfort her.

"Seriously Rachel, I can't even do it myself, I'm just a passenger." Chloe tried to add, but Rachel seemed to be withdrawing into herself.

"It's fine. I understand, let's go." Rachel said, pulling away from Max to look out the window.

Max moved closer to Chloe, resting her head on her shoulder. She was tempted to rewind with Chloe and fix Rachel's mood so it couldn't ruin the day, but Chloe had already started the truck and taken them out onto the busy San Francisco streets.

* * *

Their first place they just had to visit, according to Max, was Vista Point just outside San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge. Fortunately they had no difficulty finding a parking space, though as soon as the truck had stopped Max was almost diving over Rachel to get out and check out the view. She had her camera out already, taking a picture of the Horseshoe Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge, a shot of the city, she was happily in her element. Chloe was still standing by the truck, a cigarette in her hand, her beanie on the dashboard behind the wheel. She looked at peace with her life right now, relaxed against the front of her truck, casually looking to Max every now and then to make sure she hadn't run off. Rachel was further along leaning on the wall, her shirt whipping around her waist in the wind. Her expression was one of loneliness, despite being with friends.

Max leaned against the wall beside Rachel, bumping her hip gently with her own. Rachel responded in kind, the look of gloom vanishing in the blink of an eye.

"I can't believe we're here." Rachel said, putting an arm around Max's waist. "If it wasn't for you... and those powers..." She swallowed. Max put an arm around Rachel, leaning her head on her shoulder.

"We'll be in LA soon. Finally got you out of the Bay." Max said, rubbing the girl's side.

"We're in California too." Rachel said, looking down the bank to the waters below. "I can't use Dad's card now, he'd know where we are and we'd all be in the shit."

"So he doesn't know our travel plans?"

"You were in the room you... oh." Rachel went silent. "Sorry, I forgot what it cost you to get us that win."

"It was worth it. It gave me some time to think too."

"But no, he doesn't know."

"What did we have to say about Portland?" Max asked.

"That we were going to Arcadia Bay to see Joyce. Which is why Chloe called her, explain what's going on. She'll cover for us."

"Are you sure?" She knew Joyce was a caring woman, she'd let Max stay over so often when she was younger, but she didn't know if she'd lie to cover for Rachel.

"Yeah, she's covered for us in the past when we'd fall asleep at the Junkyard, though she'd always give Chloe a dressing down in the morning and tell her not to let it happen again." Rachel smiled, obviously replaying those memories over in her head. "It usually did."

"I wish I'd have been there." Max muttered.

"No you don't, we were rebellious and always getting into trouble. You came back at the perfect time, to save us from our own shit." Rachel said, planting a soft kiss on Max's head. "Believe me Max, you came back at the perfect time."

"I hope you're not getting too cosy." Chloe said, leaning on the wall beside Max. "I'd hate to have a reason to get jealous." She also put an arm around Max's waist, who was quick to change who she was leaning on.

"Musing about the past." Said Rachel, giving Max's waist a gentle squeeze. "And appreciating a friend."

"You know what I miss?" Max said.

"What?" Chloe asked.

"I miss waking up in the same room as you two." Chloe looked at her curiously. "Don't get me wrong, waking up with my girlfriend is hella awesome and I don't want to trade that, but I miss seeing Rachel in the morning."

"Really now?" Rachel grinned, a light in her eyes. "Well... how about tonight we sneak some alcohol, play a few games, and sleep where we fall?"

"Sounds good to me." Max said.

"Hell yeah, sign me up." Chloe added.

"But first..." Rachel said, holding up a finger. "We need to take some awesome photos!"

Max wasted no time getting her camera out again to take pictures of the two beautiful girls in her life. Rachel was once again a brilliant model, posing in just the right way at just the right time, with a little time nudge from Max every now and then. Chloe wasn't as natural, but once she relaxed she was just as good as Rachel, even seductively so. She took pictures of them together sitting on the wall facing the city, their backs to her, heads close together as though they were a couple. Blue and blonde hair tangling together in the wind. They were so photogenic together it was making Max a little jealous, to see somebody else who could fit so well with Chloe. When she started falling into this state of mind Rachel was quick to notice, taking the camera and bag from her and pushing her towards Chloe.

"Be natural!" She yelled at them. Max had given those instructions herself but ultimately, she had no fucking idea what it really meant.

Chloe pulled her into a loving embrace, their lips meeting as Rachel snapped the shot. More shots like it followed them, some in similar positions to Chloe and Rachel earlier. Rachel got one last shot before the polaroid ran out of film with no extra in the bag.

"We'll have to get more, like soon." Max said, getting into the truck.

"How about we find a shop on the way back to the hotel?" Rachel said, jumping in beside her. Chloe was back behind the wheel, her beanie discarded for now.

"Sure, we can't have Max spending just one night without film." Chloe laughed.

* * *

That night after acquiring more film for Max's camera and a few bottles of wine, thanks to Rachel's fake ID, they returned to Max and Chloe's hotel suite to drop off their haul before heading back down to the hotel's restaurant where they ate their way through a three course meal. It was once again all inclusive, something Max was not looking forward to losing. None of them were required to cook or pay when they stayed in such a fine establishment. They returned to the suite comfortably full, taking their shoes and boots off by the door.

Rachel dropped into one of the chairs by the couch, Chloe grabbed some glasses from a cabinet while Max brought over the wine. The last time she could remember drinking wine with Chloe was when they had a wine tasting session and dropped it all over the floor. It brought a smile to her lips.

"Did we do this much in September?" She asked, putting the wine by the small coffee table between the seats.

"A few times." Rachel said, pulling her legs up to get comfy on her chair. Max dropped onto the couch as Chloe set the glasses down between them.

"More memories I need to learn about." Max said, cuddling up to Chloe once she'd finally sat down.

"I don't think even we have some of those memories Max." Rachel laughed. "I woke up once with my head on your ass."

"Mine?" Max asked. "How the fuck did that happen?"

"I have no idea, I may have been using you as a pillow." Rachel said, opening one of the wine bottles and pouring an equal share for each of them.

"Her bony ass, a pillow? Do you sleep on rocks?" Chloe laughed, Max dug her fingers into Chloe's side in revenge, tickling her.

"No tickling!" Chloe yelped, trying to move away.

"Watch the glasses!" Rachel said, moving them away from the squirming couple.

"Better appreciate this ass." Max stopped tickling. "It's saved yours enough times." She grinned, kissing Chloe's cheek.

"You feeling that energy again tonight?" Chloe asked, taking one of the glasses from Rachel.

"Not tonight, I just feel... good." Max said, taking the other.

"That's a good start." Rachel smirked. "Because I want to play a game."

"Oh I know what that means." Chloe said, sipping from her wine.

"Max, pick a game. Two truths and a lie, or truth or dare."

"You know I can't lie." Max replied. "But I guess lying will be easier than whatever dares you try to give me... so let's do that."

"Two truths it is. And you can play against me first." Rachel picked up her glass and took a sip. "Now remember, they have to be two truths about yourself, and a lie. You ready?"

"Ready."

"One. I'm Ambidextrous." Chloe sniggered, eliciting a dirty look from Rachel. "Hey, I get to use these again, it's a new Max!"

"No comment." Chloe smiled innocently.

"I'll continue." Rachel said, making a fake cough. "Two. I broke my wrist as a child. Three. I'm madly in love with Chloe." Chloe almost spat her wine out. "No helping Price, if you do you have to drink that whole glass of wine."

"Yep, fine. My mouth is shut."

"Well..." Max said, sitting up to look over Rachel, trying to weigh up what could be the lie. "You are ambidextrous, I've seen you write with both hands since we've been together."

"Okay..." Rachel smirked. "So which of the other two is a lie?" Max looked into her hazel eyes, trying to judge just how much she loved Chloe. Could it be true that she still loved Chloe? "And no rewinding to get it right." Rachel said suddenly.

"You're lying about Chloe." Max said with a confident smirk. "You do love her, but you are not madly in love with her."

"Well done Max." Chloe said, kissing her head.

"Yes, well done." Rachel said, a mischevious gleam in her eyes. "Your turn."

This was going to be a very interesting night.


	8. Three Truths and a Hidden Lie

"Okay." Max said, taking a sip of wine. She was going to have to lie, and convincingly, which wasn't exactly one of her strengths as the two girls loved to remind her. They had to be things that Rachel didn't already know, but she had no idea what Other-Max had already told her. So if she wanted to win, she'd have to use facts from her timeline, the 3 weeks that made a difference.

"Whenever you're ready Time-Lady." Rachel was still smirking.

"One. I aimed a gun at a man and pulled the trigger."

"Who?" Rachel asked, clearly intrigued.

"Frank Bowers."

"Okay..." Rachel said, uncertainty creeping into those once confident features.

"Two. I've been skinny dipping with Chloe."

"When?"

"Blackwell, after we took the disability fund." Max said, she knew she mentioned sneaking in for a late night swim but she never gave them those kinds of details.

"Oh you're using those weeks that are different." Rachel grinned. "Well played, last one."

"Three. I told the truth and it got a man killed." She took a large sip of wine after this last statement. The memory of David killing Jefferson for Chloe's death still haunted her, despite the man now being alive and well somewhere, but behind bars.

"Those... are tricky." Rachel said, scanning her features closely. "I want to say you did get a man killed, because you look like you're reliving the memory."

"Right." Max admitted with a shaky nod. Chloe held her close.

"The story behind that?"

"When David saved me from Jefferson, I told him what Jefferson had done to Chloe in the junkyard. David shot him in the head right in front of me."

"Holy shit Max... you... oh wow." Rachel said, sitting back in shock. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

"And now he's alive, behind bars. And I have to live with a memory that never happened." Chloe was quiet, she knew what had happened in the junkyard but Max couldn't recall telling her what David had done afterwards. It was a fucked up memory, she was regretting sharing it.

"So... one of the other two things is a lie?" Rachel said, trying to press on with the game.

"Yeah."

"I got it!" Rachel said triumphantly. "You said you first kissed Chloe in her bedroom after a dare, and you wore my clothes because yours were soaked in chlorine. You didn't go skinny dipping! If you did, I really can't see why a kiss would have been such a big thing." Max laughed and nodded.

"Well done."

"So... you pulled the trigger on Frank?" Rachel asked.

"The gun was empty. He lived to help us another day. Reluctantly."

"Sounds like Frank." Chloe said.

"So... who's next?" Max asked, smiling.

"We'll play one round of truth or dare, and then back to two truths. It's only really you and I that can play two truths, Chloe and I know each other too well and... you and Chloe know each other really well. Defeats the point." Rachel said, refilling her wine glass.

"Alright, I'll start since I have to sit out of two truths." Chloe grinned.

"Pick your target Price." Rachel laughed.

"Okay Rachel, truth or dare."

"I do believe I shall say... dare."

"I dare your overly confident ass to drink all of that glass and refill."

"Oh please, that's easy." Rachel said, drinking her glass of wine and refilling it.

"We're just getting started." Chloe grinned, turning slightly so Max could cuddle in better.

"Okay Max, truth or dare. And if you pick truth, you are taking a sip of wine too." Said Rachel.

"Sounds fair." Max replied, taking a moment to pick. "Truth." She took a sip of wine.

"Have you ever slept with a guy?" Rachel asked.

"I have not, and now I have Chloe I never will."

"Good answer." Chloe said, kissing her forehead.

"Okay Chloe, truth or dare."

"I'll take dare Max, give me your best shot."

Max couldn't admit it, but she had no idea what to try to get Chloe to do. If she thought of anything sexual the jealous beast would growl deep in her stomach, denying her a chance to push Chloe just as Rachel would do. Did she really want to test Chloe's limits though? Did she want to be like Rachel, pushing people's boundries? She wanted to rewind and ask Rachel instead now, but it would mean moving away from Chloe or she would rewind with her. An acceptable dare came to her, one that didn't elicit the jealous growls.

"Chloe, I dare you to strip down to your underwear and remain that way for the night." Max said, a devilish grin on her features.

"Oh thanks Max." Chloe said, shaking her head with a smile.

"Nice dare..." Rachel commented, relaxing back to watch Chloe strip.

Max sat up, giving Chloe the space to take off her white vest top and jeans. She handed Max the clothes, who quickly threw them towards the bedroom.

"You better hug me to keep me warm." Chloe hinted, pulling Max against her mostly bare body. Just her black underwear remained, which Max thought would be easier to get off later if Rachel passed out before them.

"Refills." Rachel said, pouring more wine into their glasses. "And back to two truths, while Chloe sits there dithering."

"I have Max, I'm warm enough thank you." Said Chloe, smiling at the smaller girl.

"So, new rule to two truths, just for this night. If you don't guess the lie correctly, you have to drink your glass."

"Deal." Max agreed.

"I'll go first, again. One. I'm bisexual. I like men and women equally." Chloe stiffled a laugh again. Max already knew the answer to that one. "Two. I have never been intimate with Chloe. Three. I have never been intimate with an older man."

Max tried not to look shocked, because she knew the third one was an outright lie, but she couldn't call her out on it because of the promise she made her. Did that mean she'd told two lies? Fuck. She didn't know. She knew the first was probably true, considering her history with Chloe, but she couldn't recall ever being told how far they had ever taken it. Whether they'd decided to remain friends, or if it was a one time thing. The jealous beast was stirring, the thought of Chloe and Rachel in a loving embrace made her jealous, that Rachel had been with Chloe first.

This was one of Rachel's tests, testing if Max would lie for her. Did that mean her intimacy with Chloe was true? She looked at Chloe for some form of confirmation. Even tempted to freeze them in time and ask her about it. Or was she to accuse Rachel of cheating with three alleged truths?

"Well..." She said quietly. "I'm going to say the first one is true."

Rachel nodded. "Well done. What about the other two?" Max nuzzled Chloe's arm, trying to decide how to handle this.

"The third one is true. You may like men, but you haven't actually been with an older one." Max said, glancing at Rachel who was smiling widely.

"Okay, what about being intimate with Chloe?" The fire in Rachel's eyes was back, giving her a radiant look, almost like a Goddess was trapped within the shell of a mortal form. Did Max want the truth of this? She took a big sip of wine, trying to steady her nerves.

"You didn't tell me a lie." Max said, trying to sound confident.

"She did." Chloe said, taking Max's hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. "We've... fooled around once or twice, after getting drunk and high."

"Oh." Max didn't know what to say. She drank the rest of her glass but didn't refill it straight away.

"You okay Max?" Rachel said, pouring the wine for her.

"Yeah... I'm just thinking which truths to give you." She lied. It was their past and there was nothing she could do to change it, but she had to admit, it hurt. Did Other-Max know? Had she been okay with it? She wanted to get away and scream. "Give me a moment?"

"Sure." Rachel replied.

Max quickly got up off the couch and went into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. She leaned over one of the two sinks and ran the cold water, splashing it across her face as she tried to rationalize her feelings and thoughts. There was nothing she could say to herself that wouldn't leave her feeling any better. She had missed out on years of Chloe's life, of course she was going to be with somebody eventually. She'd even gone through a boy toy phase, she admitted to it in the original timeline before they first kissed. But... Max had felt slightly jealous then too. She knew Chloe had crushed on Rachel, she knew they'd been close as well but even in the original timeline didn't admit to this. Although it explained a lot, especially Chloe's reaction when they had found the pictures in Frank's RV. Chloe would have been crushed if they had once been intimate, just like Max was crushed now.

There was a soft knock on the bathroom door, interrupting her downward descent into unhappy thoughts. "Max?" Chloe's voice, filled with concern. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She called back, lying again. "I'll be out in a moment."

"Max..." Chloe sounded quieter. "I know something's up." That girl knew her too well.

She took another second to compose herself, a strange feeling settling in her stomach, then unlocked the door. Chloe opened it tentatively, still in her underwear as she'd been instructed. She closed the door behind her and put a hand out to touch Max, but she pulled away, recoiling from the contact.

"Max... it was a couple of years ago. Just silly, horny, fumbling. It didn't mean anything." Chloe tried to explain.

"But it did Chloe. I saw how you got when she went missing. All the posters you made, all the searching you did. I saw how crushed you were when you thought she may have left the Bay without you." Max leaned against the bathroom wall, trying not to cry. "Chloe... she means so much to you and I thought it was just a crush, something she didn't share, but I've learned so much lately." She wiped the tears away that had broken through despite her best efforts.

"But I'm with you now." Chloe said, approaching the crying brunette. "I am not with Rachel, we've never done anything like that in two years. I'm with you."

"I just... I don't understand how you could feel that way about her for so long, and then as soon as I come back..." She slid down the wall slowly, crying harder as she tried to understand it all. Chloe sat down in front of her, those blue eyes watching the tears roll down her face. But she didn't try to touch her again.

"As soon as I saw you again, I felt a flutter in my heart." Chloe whispered softly. "I wanted to scoop you up and kiss you. But I had no idea if you were even into girls." Max couldn't stop herself looking into those eyes. "I don't know how it was for other timeline me... but I... I was so glad to see you. So fucking glad."

"That still..." Max started, but Chloe cut her off.

"I do love Rachel, Max. She brightened my world, she saved me... just like you said. She completes some of the pieces of who I am." Chloe gently touched Max's cheek, but she didn't shrug her off. "She is my best friend, we're going to share a lot of history." She wiped away Max's tears lovingly, softly caressing her cheeks. Max couldn't stop herself from leaning into the contact. "You are the love of my life though Max, I never understood these feelings as a kid but you are..." She wiped a tear from her own eyes. "You're my soulmate."

"I'm so sorry Chloe." Max said, almost falling into Chloe's arms.

"I should have told you sooner." Chloe admitted, holding the brunette tight. "I shouldn't have let Rachel ambush you with that."

"I shouldn't have let it bother me. It's the past, and I need to accept that."

"Unless you plan on going back to change it." Chloe joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Too much effort, for something I can live with." Max nuzzled into Chloe's bare shoulder, her emotions calmer than they were before. But the strange feeling in her stomach was still there, itching at her insides. She knew what she wanted to do, but she was going to need Chloe's help. She placed her hand on Chloe's knee and touched at the energy they shared to freeze time around them.

"Max?" Chloe said, looking around her.

"Tonight is supposed to be about fun." She said, looking up into Chloe's eyes. "But what she just did hurt and I can't rewind it away. So I'd like to play a little trick back, nothing mean."

"This doesn't sound like you." Chloe whispered, looking back into Max's own blue eyes.

"I can't do it without you, so if you don't want to help me..."

"If I disagree and ask you to rewind... will you?" Chloe said, concern in her pretty eyes. Max wasn't planning anything mean, but she'd like to make a few shared memories that everybody could remember.

"Yes."

"Tell me what you're thinking."

* * *

They finally left the bathroom together with a plan in mind. Chloe leading the way, Max's hand held tightly in her own. Rachel quickly put down her drink and rushed over to hug Max, wrapping her arms around the brunette.

"I'm so sorry Max, I thought Chloe may have told you. I had no idea she hadn't. It was insensitive of me." Rachel said softly.

"It's okay Rachel, it's the past, right?" Max said, smiling weakly.

"I shouldn't have said it though, it wasn't my place."

"Rachel, they're good memories of your time with Chloe and I wouldn't want to take that away from you." Max said honestly, aware of the punk watching them. "She's definitely a conquest to be proud of." Rachel laughed.

"We can agree on that Max."

"Come on girls, let's enjoy this night!" Chloe said, jumping onto the couch and sitting in the corner again.

"What she said." Max smiled, breaking her embrace with Rachel to jump onto the couch next to Chloe, nuzzling into Chloe's bare shoulder. Rachel once more sat in her chair, wine glass in hand.

"So Max, you were going to give me two truths, and a lie." Rachel said, picking up where they left off.

"How about we move onto truth or dare? Get Chloe involved properly?" Max said, kissing Chloe's bare arm.

"Oh, okay sure." Rachel agreed, taking a sip of wine.

"You can start baby." Max said.

"Baby huh?" Chloe grinned.

"Just slipped out, sorry." She whispered.

"Okay. Max, truth or dare."

"Dare." She smirked.

"Go Max." Said Rachel.

"Revenge time!" Chloe sniggered. "I dare you to freeze time and strip down to your own underwear, and make it look like a clothes explosion for us." She continued.

"Oh nice one Price!" Rachel clapped, careful not to spill her wine.

"Fine... here goes." Max said, taking a deep breath. She was still leaning on Chloe, so when time froze around them she started laughing with Max.

"Wow that was easy." Chloe said, slipping off the couch with her.

"You sure she'll take a dare next?" Max asked, keeping hold of Chloe's hand as they walked behind Rachel's chair.

"Oh yeah, she usually takes a dare after everybody else takes one." Chloe said, looking at the frozen form of her best friend.

"Here we go..."

Moments later Max reappeared before Rachel, her clothes launched randomly into the air as she'd taken them off so she was only wearing her underwear just as she'd been dared. She'd even stood on the couch to give it the best effect. Rachel was laughing at the sudden state of her friend, Chloe was trying not to lose her wine.

"Happy?" Max said, sitting down on the couch beside Chloe once more.

"That was brilliant. One minute you were sitting there, the next just... wow Max, I hope that's one of your bedtime tricks with Chloe." Rachel said, still laughing.

"So... Rachel, truth or dare?" Max asked.

"I'll take another dare, I'm feeling lucky." She answered with a grin.

"I dare you to take off your vest top." Max asked with her own grin on her lips.

"Oh you two are so easy tonight." Rachel said, putting down her glass. In one move she placed her hands on the bottom of her top and pulled up, revealing her naked chest to her best friends who quickly broke into laughter. "Oh fuck." Rachel said, pulling her top to her chest to cover up. "You sneaky fucks!" She yelled, looking around for her bra."Oh that..."

"Sorry Rachel, but it had to be done!" Max guffawed into Chloe's arm.

"Get a nice eyeful you pervs?" Rachel asked. "Now where's my bra?!" Chloe sat forwards and threw the blonde her black bra. "You were in on it!" Rachel said, awkwardly putting it back on.

"Oh yeah, the look on your face was priceless." Chloe said, holding onto Max who was almost falling off the couch with laughter.

"That'll teach me to trust cheeky time travelers." She said, taking a large sip of wine.

* * *

The morning sun was streaming in through the floor to ceiling windows as Max awoke the next morning, a dull throb at the back of her head. She looked out of the windows on the San Francisco bay, admiring the play of light on the water. She was lying on her front, her head to the side, but she could feel the pressure of an arm over her lower back. She looked down to see Chloe's blue fingernails on the hand and smiled, rolling her head to look at the sleeping girl beside her. She was so glad they had another night to spend here, there was no rush to get moving just yet, no need to wake up her beautiful girlfriend. She loved the hint of pink and purple near her roots, that defining edge to her wonderfully blue hair. She was so glad Chloe had pulled her back from her silly thoughts the night before, comforted her as her emotions played a tug of war with her heart. She couldn't bear thinking about what other choice she'd have made without Chloe's presence.

Carefully she moved closer to the sleeping blunette, placing her lips lovingly against Chloe's and applying a small amount of pressure. It was returned almost instantly, slowly being drawn into a more passionate kiss. Chloe's hand squeezed her sides to stop her pulling away, though Max had no intention of doing so, running her own hand across the small of her girlfriend's back onto her side, where she felt the pressure of another body.

"Smooch on your own side." Rachel yawned.

Chloe broke the kiss to retort. "We are. But why are you in our bed?"

"I wasn't going to go running across the hall at four in the morning, and you said I could." The top of Rachel's head appeared over Chloe's back, the unmistakable hazel eyes looking at Max's. "And I recall Max saying she missed waking up to the both of us."

"She's right, I did." Max said sheepishly.

"Plus... it's nice not sleeping alone." Rachel said quietly. "I had three years of competition for bed space, I kind of miss it."

"Max isn't as possessive of the covers." Chloe laughed.

"Only because it's easier to snuggle up to you." Max retorted.

"So... what are we doing today?" Rachel said, climbing out of bed to stretch, still in her underwear.

"I was hoping to organise the pictures we took yesterday." Max said, rolling onto her back.

"Can't you do that in the truck?" Chloe asked, moving over so her head was on Max's shoulder.

"I don't have the space in the truck, and I don't want to leave it til LA." She stroked Chloe's hair, enjoying the texture of it under her hand.

"Does that mean I can take Chloe for a spa day? Work the tension out of her muscles?" Rachel asked excitedly.

"Knock yourselves out." Max smiled. "But don't leave me alone for too long?" She added.

"Of course not, get your work done and then join us." Chloe said, leaning up to kiss Max on the lips.

"Come on then Price! Pampering time." Rachel said, disappearing out of the room.

Chloe gave Max another kiss before getting out of the warm bed, following after the blonde. Max lay in bed for a time, listening to the two girls getting dressed before Chloe's head reappeared around the doorframe.

"Sure you won't come with us?" She asked, her puppy dog eyes tearing at Max's resolve.

"Ugh..." Those beautiful eyes were so hard to say no to. "Fine, I'm coming." She threw back the covers and got out of bed. "But you're going to help me with my photos." She said kissing Chloe's lips as they passed.

"Deal!"

"We need to buy bikinis!" Rachel suddenly shouted. "To the shops first Chloe!"

"I said no to a bikini!" Max retorted, her voice muffled by the shirt she was putting on.

"And I said if we're getting bikinis, you have to as well!" Rachel smirked.

* * *

That night after visiting three different clothes shops, a spa, a number of ATMs to restock their funds, a skate park and finally a restaurant, the three returned to Max and Chloe's suite in good spirits. Max had managed to get more snaps of the two beautiful girls she couldn't be parted from, including quite a few of the skaters they'd met at the park. A few of the guys had come onto Chloe with her punkish blue hair, but once they saw her kiss Max they got the message. Rachel had apparently collected a few numbers, but soon deleted them out of her phone.

They would be leaving San Francisco in the morning, but Max could honestly say it had been a far better experience than Portland. She had a pile of photos she needed to sort through, something to keep her busy in LA until they knew what their future plans were, and she hadn't had any more of her nightmares. Rachel's informational ambush was still a thorn in her mind, though getting her to unintentionally flash them was worth the pain. The blonde had turned so red after that, Max wished she had a picture.

"Hey Max, let's get a picture together." Rachel said, pulling Chloe over to the windows. "What ya think? Good backdrop?"

"The best." Max said, taking her camera out of the bag, lining up the shot.

"No, you have to be in it too." Chloe said, grabbing Max's wrist and pulling her between them.

"Say... Bay." Max said, smiling happily.

"Bay!" They all said together, the flash went off. Rachel had the picture in her hands first.

"Fucking perfect." She said, passing it over Max to Chloe.

"Oh hella perfect." Chloe agreed, handing it to Max.

"The best." Max agreed. It was just light enough to see the waters beyond the buildings, glistening gently from the lights of the city. Chloe had the most perfect smile on her face, while Rachel looked like the Goddess she could be. Max always felt she let the pictures down, but this was one she could appreciate. She put it in her bag along with the camera, checking she had enough film for the trip to LA.

Chloe was already starting to pack their clothes, which had somehow managed to scatter themselves around the hotel suite with reckless abandon. Max wasn't sure just how they'd managed to make such a mess in just a couple of days. Though if Chloe's old room was anything to go by, she was the root cause of such a mess. Rachel was lying on the bed, drumming a beat on her stomach. Max decided to sit with her and watch Chloe clean up her own mess.

"Did your room get this bad?" Max asked quietly.

"Yeah. Then we'd spend a day tidying, only for it to look pretty much the same." She laughed. "We were excellent procrastinators."

"But you always managed to get good grades?"

"While Chloe smoked, I would get my homework done. Better to get it out of the way so my Dad wasn't on our case when we were out."

"Yeah, because when she didn't do it, her phone wouldn't stop ringing." Chloe said, throwing Rachel's discarded red flannel shirt at her.

"Why don't you go and get your bag packed, then stay with us again tonight?" Max offered.

"You sure? You two don't want some... intimate time?" Rachel asked.

"I could freeze time and you'd be none the wiser." Max smirked.

"That... is a disturbing thought." Rachel said as she was getting off the bed. "But I'll take you up on the offer." She smiled softly. "See you soon."

Chloe sat on the edge of the bed, staring interestingly at Max. "Not wanting one last night of..." She started to say. Max moved down the bed to kiss her lovingly and silence what she was about to say.

"We have the rest of our lives, and there was something she said this morning..."

"Which thing?" Chloe said, holding Max's hands.

"She's had three years sharing space with you, sharing a bed. Now that we're together, she's always sleeping on the floor, or in another room. I feel a little sorry for her." Max admitted, bringing one of Chloe's hands up to her lips to kiss.

"She understands though."

"Of course she does, but will it hurt us if every now and then we sleep in the same room? So she doesn't feel alone? You were the one to say we should look after her, like she looks after us."

"But... I want my Max time." Chloe whispered.

"And you'll get it. It's just one night. We'll get a single room with double beds in LA."

Chloe nuzzled Max's nose. "Okay, but you better be ready to use our freeze so I can rip your clothes off." She smiled.

"Oh I'm well ahead of you there." Max laughed, kissing her girlfriend lovingly.

Breaking the kiss reluctantly, Chloe pulled away. "I really should be packing." She said, though she couldn't take her eyes off Max's.

"How long will it take Rachel to pack?" Max asked, biting her bottom lip.

"Not as long as us." Chloe said sadly.

"Well I'll just have to give us a little longer." Max whispered, pulling Chloe ontop of her with a strength she didn't know she possessed. The first thing to be thrown across the room, adding to the clothes to be tidied away, was Chloe's beanie, followed closely by Max's jacket. There was a need to Chloe's kissing of her neck, to the feeling of her hands on Max's hips as she pushed her up the bed to the pillows. She arched her back so Chloe could pull her shirt up off her midriff, where Chloe descended to lay kisses across her flat stomach, pushing her top up as she worked her way back up to Max's lips.

Max bit Chloe's bottom lip playfully as she pulled the white and black vest top up to the blunette's chin, releasing her only to get their clothes out of their way. Chloe grabbed Max's hands and pinned her down to the bed, kissing the small girls neck once more. There was a loud knock on the door, but Max didn't hesitate when she froze time for them, adamant she was going to get some time with Chloe, no matter how exhausted it would make them. They'd never even tried this before.

* * *

"You looked flushed." Rachel said as Chloe opened the door to allow her in. "Oh did I just...?"

"No, it's fine." Chloe said, adjusting her bra under her vest top.

"Are you sure?" Rachel asked.

"Positive, now get in here." Rachel took the hint and crossed the threshold, dropping her travel bag by the couch. "Still not packed Price." She tutted.

"We... got a bit... busy." Chloe smirked, poking her head around the bedroom door to check on Max, who was lying on her side asleep, her bare arm on top of the covers.

"Is she asleep?" Rachel asked, lowering her voice.

"Yeah, we... we used a freeze to get in some time and I think it took a bit more out of her." Chloe admitted, gathering up their clothes from around the room once more.

"Good use of those powers." Rachel grinned, sitting in the same chair as the night before.

"You know it wasn't fair to tell her about us." Chloe whispered, throwing her used shirt into her travel bag.

"I thought you'd told her. I'm sorry."

"I was waiting for the right time, when she wouldn't feel so conflicted about it."

"Why would she feel conflicted? I'm the one who got put to one side for her." Rachel said, opening one of the last bottles of wine they had.

"I didn't put you to one side Rachel, we just stopped... doing those things. And, if I understand it correctly, I told her all about how I feel for you in the other timeline. She knew it was more than a crush." Chloe explained, sitting across from Rachel. "She didn't understand how I could go from loving you, to loving her."

"You obviously explained that you never stopped loving her? After five years apart you never stopped thinking about her?" Rachel took a sip of the wine from the bottle.

"To a degree, yes." Chloe replied, taking the proffered bottle and taking a sip.

"Well I haven't stopped loving you Chloe." Rachel said, taking back the bottle.

"And I haven't stopped loving you, it's just... different now."

"Because of Max." Rachel muttered.

"She loves you too you know."

"Really?"

"She didn't want you feeling lonely, even suggested we get a single room in LA with two double beds."

"I'm not sharing you Chloe, that's not my thing." Rachel said, sipping from the wine. "And I don't think it's Max's either. Sorry sweetie."

"I wasn't asking. It's just... so hard with all these feelings."

"Chloe, you have loved that girl for fucking years. I am happy to have you in my life as my friend, that is not going to change. Ever." Rachel said, stroking Chloe's cheek. "And I owe that little brunette for saving my life, I'll always be there for her too."

"I know Rachel." Chloe nodded weakly. "As long as I have you both in my life..."

"You'll be fine." Rachel smiled, passing her the bottle.


	9. Los Angeles

Max had finished the packing Chloe had started the night before, though she was fairly certain she knew what had stopped the punk from finishing the job when she found the open wine bottle on the floor by the couch. It didn't bother her, half of the packing was supposed to be her responsibility anyway but so far on this trip Rachel and Chloe had been doing all of it. Chloe and Rachel were still sleeping soundly in the bedroom as Max bustled around the hotel suite, trying to make sure they didn't forget anything.

When the packing was done she sat on the couch and checked the time. It was 10am in the morning and they had to check out soon, but she didn't want to wake the two sleeping beauties. She did want to go shopping though. She grabbed her jacket off the couch, pulled on her camera bag and pocketed her phone, quietly closing the suite door behind her. Chloe had bought her a present in Portland, it was her turn to get her something nice. She had her bullet necklace and the watch after all, it only felt right she got something for the girl she loved.

"Excuse me." She said at the front desk. "Where's the closest jewelers?"

"Just down the street, two blocks over." The man answered politely.

"Thank you." Max said.

She found the jewelers the man had directed her to, quietly going inside to look at their selection of necklaces but being inexplicably drawn to the rings on display. She didn't know Chloe's ring size, which ruled them out for now, but looking at them seemed to confirm something in the depths of Max's heart. She resolved to return to that line of thought once they got to LA, especially if they planned to settle down there. She looked through the necklaces more closely, looking to replace the three bullets Chloe had gifted her. She saw a number of butterfly necklaces, but they didn't scream Chloe, they just weren't badass enough, and Chloe deserved something badass. Something simple, but not ostentatious. She saw the perfect thing, a small, black and silver raven with it's wings spread wide. She felt as though she'd seen it somewhere before but couldn't place the memory, whether it was pre or post Rachel. But it struck a chord.

She paid with the cash they had withdrawn the day before, her original resistance to using the ATM cheat was now a distant memory, they did need money and it was so great not having to worry about how much they spent on nice things.

Leaving the shop her phone almost exploded with incoming texts

**Rachel:**

_Where are you?_

_Max, call us._

_Now Max._

**Chloe:**

_Max where are you?_

She was about to reply when it started ringing, Chloe was calling her.

"Hey Chloe." She said, sitting on a nearby bench.

"Where are you? I was worried." Chloe asked, she certainly sounded it.

"You were both fast asleep so I went for a walk. I was just heading back."

"You better be, we're checking out now. We'll see you in the lobby."

Max walked back to the hotel quickly, glad she'd taken the time to do something nice even if it had caused a panic. She entered the lobby, the necklace box carefully stashed in her camera bag so Chloe couldn't see it as she came hurtling across the lobby floor to hug her.

"Don't fucking do that to us." Chloe said, then kissed the girl softly.

"Sorry I worried you, I just wanted to take a walk and you were both out cold."

"You could have left a note." Said Rachel, catching up to them with her's and Max's travel bags. "You know, telling us where you'd gone."

"I'm sorry." Max said, taking one of the bags from Rachel. "I took my phone." She smiled.

"Fortunately." Chloe put her hand in Max's as she led the way out of the hotel. "I would have been pissed if you hadn't."

"No shit, she must have shouted your name at least six times before she realised you definitely weren't in the suite." Rachel said.

"I panicked, okay? I just felt like something was wrong." Chloe said, leading the way to their parked truck. "I can't explain it. It's like... a memory of an emotion." She said, throwing her travel bag onto the truck's bed.

"That's... strange." Rachel said, dropping her own bag into the back, then helping with Max's.

"You ever felt anything like that before?" Chloe asked Max.

"No. I just... remember everything that I've lived. I don't get a memory of it from Other-Max or anything." Max said, the memories of her time in the dark room rushing back to the surface. A memory that never happened.

"Come on, let's go." Rachel said, opening the passenger door for Max. She took the hint and climbed into the truck, to be sandwiched between Rachel and Chloe once more.

"So... last leg of the journey." Max said as they pulled out of the parking lot.

"Yeah. We'll be in LA in... roughly six hours." Chloe smiled.

"And a new life!" Rachel grinned from ear to ear. "I can't fucking wait."

"What's our plan when we get there?" Max asked, they'd never really talked about it.

"We'll check into a hotel to begin with while I try looking for work. Model, actress, whatever. Your pictures could help us there Max." Rachel said, putting an arm around her. "We can try to get you some work as a photographer too, you have the eye for it after all."

"What about Chloe?"

"I shall be your ever loyal chauffeur, driving you from shoot to shoot. And if I can get another job in the meantime, I will." Chloe smiled.

"You could probably get a job as a model too." Rachel said. "You've got the looks Price."

"I'll only model for Max. It's an exclusive deal we have."

"Oh, you mean the deal where she keeps you all loved up and she only has to bat her eyelids and you'll do it?" Rachel chuckled.

"There's another kind of deal we could have made?" Max asked, playing along.

"Yeah, if you offered to just sex her up, you wouldn't need to even bat your eyelids." Rachel said, causing Chloe to blush.

"Don't I do that already?" She whispered seductively into Chloe's ear.

"Not while I'm driving Max." Chloe replied, trying not to smirk.

"But it's fun to tease." She whispered again, running her hand up Chloe's right leg. Rachel was laughing from beside them, completely aware of what Max was doing.

"This isn't fair..." Chloe huffed, though still not stopping Max.

"The sooner we get to LA..." Max whispered, then planted a soft kiss on her neck. "The sooner I can give you a gift."

"Whoa, don't distract the driver too much." Rachel said, gently pulling Max away. "I'd like to live a little bit longer yet." She laughed.

"So would I." Max laughed. "But I've just given her incentive to get us to LA in one piece."

"Too right you have." Chloe said, smirking happily.

Rachel turned to look out at the passing landscape, giving Max time to look through a few of the pictures in her bag. Chloe remained the silent driver, her concentration on the road ahead. They settled into a comfortable silence, speaking only to comment on a photo she passed to Rachel to get an opinion on. The blonde seemed to be in one of her strange moods, not exactly engaging and staring into empty space whenever Max didn't ask for her opinion. She decided to leave her to those thoughts for a while, there was obviously something she was trying to work out in her own way.

* * *

LA was fast approaching and the excitement in the truck was building. Rachel's depressive energy had given way to her excited mannerisms, dancing in the truck to the music they put on, pulling Max to join in, miming the words playfully. It was once again very difficult to be sad in the presence of this mood changing blonde.

"We're fucking here! I can't believe it!" Rachel yelled as they passed the Van Norman Bypass Reservoir. "It's a fucking dream come true!" Chloe wooped loudly, and Max couldn't help but join in the small celebration.

"Okay, where are we staying?" Max asked.

"Long Beach. It's maybe another hour or something, but... we have to go to Long Beach." She answered quickly, determination set on her features.

"Long Beach it is." Chloe nodded.

"Any particular hotel?" Max asked, holding Rachel's hand, trying to calm her down a bit.

"There should be a few choices, we'll decide when we get closer." She said, squeezing Max's hand. "Thank you so much Max." She was smiling happily at Max. "Without you..." A tear trickled down her cheek, which Max quickly wiped away.

"It's okay." Max said, happy to see the tears of joy.

"No, it isn't. If it wasn't for you I wouldn't be here. You have literally been my Guardian Angel. You've looked after me, and I've put you through some shit." She said, squeezing Max's hand tightly. "Oh fuck it." She said and kissed Max on the lips quickly. Max's eyes were wide with shock, but Rachel was already leaning back in her seat by the time it registered on Max's face.

"Did you just kiss my girlfriend?!" Chloe asked, sounding shocked as well.

"I wanted to convey my gratitude, and it was all I could think of." Rachel sounded apologetic, though never actually apologised. Max couldn't rewind it either, they were in a moving truck and she didn't want to test what would happen if she did rewind.

"Don't make it a habit." Chloe smiled weakly.

"You have my word." Rachel answered, watching the buildings go by, never releasing Max's hand.

Further into the city they went, getting closer to their final destination. Max wanted to grab her camera and start taking pictures right away, but she didn't want blurred images. She wanted to capture moments not blurs. When they arrived in Long Beach they quickly picked out one of the hotels they wanted to stay at and ensured they had enough cash on hand. Rachel was the first out of the truck, grabbing her bag from the back and started towards the lobby.

"Rachel!" Max called out, halting the blonde girl in her tracks.

"What?!" She yelled back.

"One room this time!"

"You got it!" She turned on the spot and almost ran into the lobby.

"You know..." Chloe said, wrapping her arms around Max. "We have a life with that crazy girl."

"Yep..." Max replied, leaning into Chloe happily. "But if I need to, I can freeze her ass."

Chloe laughed. "That may come in handy."

Max stepped onto her tip toes to bring her lips closer to Chloe's, looking deeply into those eyes. "Regretting anything?" She asked, teasing the punk by leaning away from the kiss she was taunting her with.

"Not a thing." Chloe answered.

"Better not." Max whispered, kissing the girl softly.

"Put each other down!" Rachel yelled. "And come on!"

"For Gods sake..." Chloe muttered. "Has she got a fucking moment detector or something?"

"Maybe it's her superpower?" Max giggled, grabbing their bags from the truck.

"Oh fuck that, I'm leaving if she has superpowers too."

"No you're not... because that could mean you have a superpower, hidden within you." Max said, taking Chloe's hand.

"The power to drink a lot? Oh! The power to handle two superpowered people!"

"The power of sarcasm." Max laughed.

"Oh I have plenty of that. Come on, before Rachel settles into the bedroom and we have to sleep on the couch or something."

Rachel was waiting in the lobby for them, rocking back and forth trying to contain the energy she seemed to be filled with.

"Next time I'm going up without you." She said, hooking an arm through Max's and guiding them both towards the elevators.

"It was Chloe's fault." Max said, sticking her tongue out at Chloe.

"Lies. It was all Max, she couldn't resist me." Chloe countered.

"I'm blaming you both. Now come on, I think you'll like the room we've got."

They exited the elevators and walked down the corridor, rachel swiped the keycard and let them in. Max was not expecting the room Rachel had splashed out on this time. She walked over to the two storey windows that looked out from the living area onto the Terrace Theater and the buildings beyond.

"How much..." Max started to say.

"Everything we had. And I mean, everything." Rachel said. "But we can get more, right?" She smiled sweetly, causing Chloe to roll her eyes.

"I'll take our bags upstairs... seeing as we have an upstairs." Chloe said, taking the bag from Max.

"Rachel..." She started to say again.

"We won't get long here Max, we've paid for a week but we've got to get your pictures out there." Rachel dropped her bag by the couch, walking over to stand by Max at the windows. "We're here to stay... right?"

"Yeah." Max said, hugging herself uncomfortably.

"Max... we'll be fine." Rachel said, putting an arm around the nervous brunette. "You have an awesome eye, and hopefully I can get the jobs. Between us we should be able to get by."

"Of course we will." Chloe said, coming back down the stairs and putting both her arms around Max. "Come on, let's get something to eat and get some more money."

"It's always food with you." Rachel laughed.

"I don't eat breakfast, and we keep skipping lunch." Chloe replied, pulling Max away from the view.

Max thought about how they'd never reached the end of the tornado story, how she still didn't know just how they other three days went. She had some idea but it didn't really matter to her anymore. Her future with Chloe mattered more than a week of their past when they had so many new memories to make together.

* * *

The next morning Max woke up lying on her right side in Chloe's arms, snuggled close together in the king size bed they had collapsed in the previous night. It was the first day of the rest of their lives, they had to start looking for jobs. It didn't matter if they ran out of money, Max could just rewind one of their accounts at an ATM for easy access but she didn't want to fall through life just using her powers to get by. She wanted to achieve something, she wanted to inspire the world with her photography, just like Rachel said. They also had no idea if her powers would ever fade away, they had to plan for every eventuality.

Max didn't want to get up, she was so comfortable in Chloe's loving arms, but she knew as long as she stayed there so would her girlfriend. She tried to will her body to get up, to get moving, but she failed. She wiggled her hips backwards, pressing against Chloe instead, trying to get closer to the warmth of her body. It was never going to happen, they were as close as she could get, but it made her feel better. Chloe's arms seemed to tighten around her, refusing to let her get away. She felt the soft touch of Chloe's lips working up her back, kissing up to her neck, sending shivers down her spine. She couldn't stop the soft moan that managed to escape her lips, confirming to Chloe that she was awake. Chloe's left hand slowly moved down her bare stomach, applying just the right amount of pressure to hold Max in place. She clasped Chloe's hand with her own reluctantly, stopping her from going any lower.

Chloe let out a frustrated complaint as her kisses moved round to the side of Max's neck, biting softly at her earlobe when she was close enough.

"Not in the mood?" Chloe whispered sweetly.

"I am, but if we start now, we won't stop." Max whispered back.

"That a bad thing?" Chloe started biting her neck very softly, the sensation sending tingles through Max's body.

"It is when we have things to do."

"Let Rachel do it, I want my girlfriend today." Chloe kissed the top of Max's shoulder. Max really wanted to give in to the sensations and the feelings right now, to just hand herself over to Chloe's loving control. She grabbed for her phone, opening the contacts and finding Rachel's number. Chloe continued to lay those sweet kisses across her shoulders, heightening what she was already feeling. She hit the send key.

**Max:**

_Could you buy the laptop without us?_

She didn't have to wait long for a response.

**Rachel:**

_All tied up?  
_

**Max:**

_Yeah._

**Rachel:**

_Truck's keys?  
_

"Where are the keys for the truck?" She asked quietly.

"My jacket pocket on the couch." Chloe answered between kisses.

**Max:**

_Jacket pocket.  
_

**Rachel**

_Got them. Be good you two.  
_

Max dropped the phone on the floor and bit down on the pillow as Chloe took it further.

* * *

Rachel got back from the shops with a couple of bags of shopping, new clothes in one bag and the laptop they needed in the other. Chloe and Max were snuggled together on the couch when she got in, the cover from their bed draped over them.

"Have you two been at it all morning?" Rachel asked, tossing the keys to Chloe who caught them one handed.

"Not all morning." Max said sheepishly.

"I tried calling you twice." Rachel said, handing the laptop box over to Max carefully.

"My phone was off." Chloe answered. "No battery. I forgot to charge it."

"I... didn't hear mine?" Max said, keeping the cover over her chest as she opened the box and began emptying it's contents onto the half of the couch they weren't using.

"You two are like rabbits." Rachel said, opening the clothes bag and pulling out the new clothes.

"That's a lie, we don't hump." Chloe retorted, kissing the top of Max's head.

"You know what I mean." Rachel smirked, throwing a new bottle of hair dye to Chloe, who once again caught it easily. "They had your colour."

"Oh does this mean you lose your blonde roots?" Max said, looking up from their new toy.

"Yep, back to pure blue." Chloe answered, dropping the keys and hair dye on the coffee table in front of them. "What else did you get?"

"Couple of new shirts, new leggings and..." She pulled a black pair of jeans out of the bag, and threw them to Max. "Something for our new punk initiate."

"Just as long as I don't start dying my hair and covered in tattoos. I like my innocent girl look." Max stuck her tongue out.

"And then Chloe drapes an arm over you and that look is instantly ruined. No way you'd have a blue haired punk on your arm if you weren't damn hot in bed." Rachel laughed. Max turned bright red. "And you still get embarrassed. Max, sweetie, you are fucking adorable."

"Sorry babe, she's got you there." Chloe smiled.

"Babe... now look who's trying new things." Max laughed, nuzzling Chloe's bare shoulder.

"We have power!" Rachel said, pointing at the laptop.

"Awesome." Max said, putting the laptop on Chloe's lap.

"Why do I get it?" She asked.

"Because I'm comfy and don't want to move." Max grinned.

"What are we looking for?"

"Jobs and an apartment or house." Rachel said. "Preferably near the beach."

"Doesn't want much huh?" Max whispered cheekily.

"Oh wow... this... is going to cost you Max." Chloe said, pointing to the prices on the screen.

"Until we have the proper income..." Max commented as Rachel sat down beside her on top of the covers.

"That's what, 3 rewinds a month?" Rachel asked, leaning over Max.

"Not including utilities or food." Said Chloe.

"It's doable." Max said with a nod, surprising the two girls.

"You sure Max?" Chloe asked. "You said you wanted to do this right."

"And this is the right way. No home no job, we have to start somewhere."

"The Time-Lady has spoken." Rachel said with a smile. "Let's view it tomorrow, after we get some more funds." She said, kissing Max on the head.

Rachel got up again to sort out her new clothes, allowing Max more time to cuddle into Chloe who had switched from looking at the houses to looking at news articles. It was the same old celebrity gossip regurgitated to spin a different story about the same event, but it was something different to read after almost a week on the road without even a second glance at news headlines. It was strange to think that in just a few days they might have a place of their own in LA, three weeks after the storm of Arcadia Bay. Max didn't feel rushed though, she wasn't even concerned about using her rewind to get money for it, she was happy that she had some kind of future with Chloe, after everything they had been through.

"Rachel, could you get my camera bag for me?" She asked politely, not in a position to get off the couch without giving Rachel a show.

"Sure sweetie, is it upstairs?"

"Yeah."

"Want some underwear too?" Rachel smirked.

"Only if that doesn't weird you out."

"Pfft, fuck no. I've seen enough of Chloe's scattered around our rooms." Rachel laughed, climbing the stairs to the second floor of their hotel suite. She returned fairly quickly with a pile of clothes in her left hand and the camera bag in her right.

"Got some for you aswell Chloe." She said, dropping the pile of clothes on the end of the couch while passing Max her bag.

"Thanks." Chloe said absently, her eyes scanning the news articles. Max opened her bag and started digging through the piles of photos for the one item she wanted right then, finding it buried at the bottom beneath the extra film. Rachel was watching curiously, so Max pointed at the box and then Chloe and grinned. A grin spread across Rachel's face as well.

"I'll be back in a second." Rachel said, winking to Max and leaving the two alone.

"So Chloe..." Max started to say.

"Hm?" Chloe said, not looking away from the screen.

"I just wanted to say thank you for the necklace." She said, holding the three bullet necklace with her fingers. "I've not taken it off since you gave it to me, but... well your neckline is looking like it needs something."

"You are not giving it back." Chloe said, turning on Max who held the box out in front of Chloe.

"No, I'm not. I'm giving you this instead."

"What is it?" Chloe asked, looking at the box like it was going to explode.

"Open it and find out." Max said, trying not to laugh.

Chloe did as she was told and opened the box, letting out a slight gasp as she saw the silver and black raven on the black and silver chain. "Oh... Max it's fucking awesome." She said, taking it out and throwing the box aside.

"Here." Max offered, taking the necklace and unhooking the clasp to put it around Chloe's neck. It fit perfectly, not too tight but not too loose, hanging in the perfect place just below her collarbone. Max left a soft kiss on the blunette's neck who smiled at the touch.

"Thank you so much." Chloe said, holding her tightly without losing the laptop on the floor.

"Anything for you" Max smiled, planting more kisses on Chloe's lips.

"Is it safe yet?" Rachel's voice came from the dining area.

"It's safe for now." Chloe replied, kissing her girlfriend one more time for good measure.

"Let me see!" Rachel said, kneeling down beside the couch to look at the necklace around Chloe's neck. "That is hella awesome, it's like that shirt you used to wear!"

"You had a shirt like that?" Max asked, surprised.

"Yeah... three years ago." Chloe grinned. "You know me so well Max."

"I... must do." Max said awkwardly. She had no memories of this shirt. "Did Other-Max ever see it?" She asked aloud.

"Nope, got rid of it ages ago." Chloe answered. "Why? Something wrong?"

"I just... I remember seeing something like that Raven, it's why I got it for you."

"Well I love it!" Chloe smiled, pulling the girl almost on top of her and dropping the laptop. Rachel was fortunately in the right place to catch it.

"Careful! It's brand new!" She said, putting it on the coffee table.

Max was oblivious to the problem as she became thoroughly engaged in the physical connection with Chloe once more.

"Okay... if you two want to take that upstairs, I'd appreciate it." Rachel said with a smirk in her voice.

"She's right." Chloe said, pulling the covers tight around them. "Hold on tight SuperMax... I'm taking you back upstairs." Max laughed happily as Chloe tried to lift her off the couch without losing their modesty.

* * *

The next day they went house hunting just as they'd promised. Rachel was eager to be near to a beach, even if it was more per month. Max wasn't too concerned by the extra cost, having already commit herself to the idea of using her rewind abilities to ensure a good start to their new lives. Chloe seemed more apprehensive, despite Max's attempts at alleviating her concerns. The first and second houses were nothing to write home about. While they looked stunning on the outside, the inside was small and cramped for three girls who had become used to the amenities of luxury suites in hotels. Rachel was the more vocal of the three for needing that space.

The third house got the best response from the three of them, with three bedrooms a large kitchen and dining area, a reasonable sized living area and two bathrooms, one of which was en-suite. The price was higher than Max expected, even for it's location. They got a moment away from the owner to discuss whether they wanted it, Rachel being the most excited.

"It's near the beach like I want, we'll have enough space to spread out. We can use the third bedroom as a studio for Max's photography. It would be perfect." She said, leaning against Chloe's truck, which the owner seemed to continue eying suspiciously.

"But we have to be able to afford it if our... reserves... dry up." Max said, careful not to mention her rewind powers in front of a stranger.

"If we've got the modeling and photography sorted by then it'll be fine!" Rachel said enthusiastically.

"But if we haven't, we're screwed." Chloe whispered.

"Unless Max makes sure our reserves are exteneded beyond any potential... issues?" Rachel grinned. Max looked to Chloe awkwardly, who shrugged her response. This was another choice for Max, it was her powers they were using.

"Fine... let's do it." She said with a nod. Rachel's glee was uncontainable, jumping on Max to hug her tightly, crushing the breath out of Max's lungs.

"Thank you Max!" Rachel said, releasing the brunette with a kiss on her forehead. "Let's get the paperwork signed." She said, approaching the owner with the biggest smile on her face.

"You sure Max?" Chloe asked, putting her arms around the small girl.

"It can be our home Chloe, I'm sure." She answered, slightly muffled as she nuzzled into the taller girl's chest.

"We still have a few days at the hotel."

"Time to get things sorted for the house then." Max reasoned. "We're going to need beds..."

"Oh, I get to pick our bed. It needs to have a good bounce." Chloe grinned.

"Perv." Max smiled.

* * *

The next few days were a blur, they spent hours in shops looking for things for their new home, things they didn't ever know they needed. Max had to repeatedly return to the ATM trick to get more money for their bottomless spending spree, enthusiastically supported by the hard to contain Rachel Amber. When their stay at the hotel ran out they had already bought the necessities to stay comfortably in their rented home. Chloe and Max had quickly claimed the en-suite for themselves, reasoning that as the couple they needed the bigger bedroom. Rachel only relented when she realised that meant she got the larger bathroom all to herself.

Max's parents weren't sure how they were affording it all when they called one afternoon and Max told them the news, but they were extremely supportive of Max's choice to stay with Chloe going so far as to actually send flowers to the happy couple. Joyce was also happy for them, offering to come out from Arcadia Bay to visit for Christmas which was quickly approaching. Only Rachel's parents remained oblivious to their daughters new situation, for now. Arcadia Bay was still going through it's rebuilding effort which gave them a good reason to avoid the subject of ever having to return.

Rachel and Max had been sending out photographs daily, trying to get noticed for either the modeling or photographic work. It was tough work, but they kept themselves busy by doing their own photo shoots around LA with their loyal chauffer, who even got her own place in the images with her beautiful blue hair and wonderful punk style.

"You should really get that tattoo." Chloe said one morning as she and Max lay in bed.

"Really?" Max asked, pressing her hips back like she did so often when in Chloe's embrace.

"Really. I think it would suit you." Chloe responded, running the pattern over Max's arm with her finger once more. "Plus, I'd know what I'm tracing." Max laughed at her.

"But what about my innocent image? I have to maintain it."

"You really think you look innocent with Rachel and I? Babe, people see you with us and wonder just what you're hiding beneath that innocent exterior."

"Let them wonder, it's for you to know and nobody else."

"Oh I do know." Chloe whispered seductively into her ear. "And I definitely don't want to share it."

There was a sharp knock on their bedroom door. Rachel had quickly learned to knock now, saving them all the embarrassment of Rachel walking in while they were emotionally and physically entwined.

"What's up?" Max asked, pulling the covers up her body, to Chloe's disappointment.

Rachel entered their room, her blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, the blue feather in her ear.

"You're not going to believe it." Rachel said, sitting on the bed. She looked shell-shocked.

"What's happened?" Chloe asked, her voice full of concern.

"We've been hired." Rachel said quietly.

"We?" Max said, shocked.

"They want both of us. We've got our jobs!" Rachel almost squeeled, diving on top of Max and hugging her tightly.

"Oh my fucking God!" Max said, hugging the blonde just as tight.

"That is fucking awesome!" Chloe yelled, wrapping an arm around the two girls.

"When do we start?" Max asked.

"In the new year. We're going to be in the second issue." Rachel said, handing over the letters.

"We're eating out tonight!" Chloe shouted. "We have to celebrate."

"Fuck yes." Max replied, almost inaudibly. Her photos were going to be published.


	10. City of Angels

It was now three months into the new year, work had been consistent and enjoyable for both Rachel and Max who were always working together on photoshoots. Chloe would always take them to the shoots, happily watching her two girls in their elements. They'd managed to buy Rachel her own car for the days she and Max wouldn't be working together for whatever reason, granting her a little more freedom from the young couple though she rarely, if ever, used it. They were all joined at the head, as Joyce would have put it. Happily living out of each other's pockets, enjoying life for all it was worth. Their house had gone from a box filled mess to a proper home with photos of the girls on the wall. Rewinds at the ATM were happening less often, usually when they needed something still outside of their price range. Rachel's dream had come true and Max and Chloe could live together.

"Hey Rach, do you have that photoshoot with DeSilvio tonight?" Max asked as the blonde girl came into the kitchen, a purple highlight the new addition to her hair.

"Yeah, I couldn't get out of it." Rachel answered, grabbing one of the slices of toast off of Chloe's plate. "Sorry birthday girl." She added, kissing Chloe on the cheek. "It's not every day you turn twenty."

"You'll be back on time for the meal, right?" Max said, sitting beside Chloe at their dining table. It wasn't a glass table, just in case Rachel ever got smashy.

"I'll try, but you know what DeSilvio's like."

"Perfection, perfection, perfection." Max nodded.

"Says you."

"I could happily do the shoot, but DeSilvio won't work with me after I said he thought too highly of himself." Max grinned.

"Oh look at you, Miss Confident now."

"I'm a professional photographer, I have to boss the models around or you'd never pose right."

"Uh-huh, when have you ever bossed me around?" Rachel said, striking her hands on hips pose both she and Chloe were so good at.

"Never, because you're the best model I've got."

"You should come and do the shoot then, you only got out of it for Chloe's birthday. DeSilvio can't say no to the best photographer on the team." Max looked awkwardly at Chloe, they'd been planning this night for a month.

"I'll pass, I'd rather be directed than do the directing." She smirked.

"Well have fun you two, I'll see you later!" Rachel said, grabbing her car keys off the table.

"Hang on." Chloe said, grabbing the girl's wrist. "Group picture." She smiled. "It is my birthday."

"Deal, but only because you're gonna miss me." Rachel laughed. "Where's your camera Max?"

"Upstairs, in it's usual place."

"Back in a minute then." Rachel said, disappearing back upstairs.

"You sure you're okay?" Max asked, taking hold of Chloe's hand.

"Yeah, still can't believe everything that's happened in a year." Chloe said, leaning back on the dining chair. "If you told me a year ago I'd be living in LA with my girlfriend and best friend, I'd have laughed your ass out of my room."

"Yet here we are. Almost six months after Arcadia Bay." Max smiled, leaning in to kiss Chloe's cheek.

"And you're still not past the honeymoon period." Rachel laughed, passing Max the camera.

"Everyday with this girl is a honeymoon Rach, you should know that by now." Chloe smiled, pulling her down by her neck into a hug.

"Okay, squeeze together, all around the birthday girl." Max said, holding the camera out to take their picture together, just like back in San Francisco. Rachel took the new picture first, she always did now, and eyed it suspiciously.

"There's some colour missing from it." She mused, handing the picture to Chloe.

"Yeah, something isn't quite right." Chloe agreed.

Max snatched the picture from them and stared at it. "Looks fine to me." She shrugged.

"Must be something to do with your hair then Max." Chloe grinned.

"Oh no, I'm not putting the red back into it. That was a christmas thing only."

"I kept my purple." Rachel said, pointing to the highlight.

"You are a punk model Goddess." Max laughed, fanning her face with the photo in her hands. "I hide behind the camera and make you look better."

"Are you admitting to using those powers to get the best picture?" Rachel said, leaning closer as though in shock.

"Maybe, when DeSilvio has his head too far up his ass." Chloe and Rachel both broke out in laughter.

"Okay... I really need to go." Rachel said, kissing them both on the cheeks. "See you later lovelies."

"I really hope she isn't getting a thing for DeSilvio." Max said when she heard the front door close.

"They've been close?" Chloe asked, taking a bite of her toast reluctantly.

"Mhm, rumour mill's been turning. A few of the other models have said he's come onto them too."

"Sounds like a creep."

"He is, it's why I put a hole in his ego." Max looked at Chloe, admiring her features just like she did almost every day of the last five months. "You know... she's left and we're sat here talking, on your birthday."

Chloe looked at her for a moment, then at the toast. "Fuck that." She muttered, dropping the toast and pulling on Max's arm to take her upstairs.

* * *

They stayed in bed for most of the day, only leaving each other's arms to get lunch and go to the bathroom. Max was glad she'd taken the day off, she prefered the loving embrace of her girlfriend to having to deal with a bunch of models, even if Rachel was one of them. Even after 5 months they still couldn't get enough of each other, there was something deeper than their love connecting them, almost like they were making up for lost time. Every touch, every whisper, every breath was worth more than they could properly describe. They were so lost in one another they didn't notice how quickly the weather changed outside. They fell asleep in each other's arms, unaware of the time.

Max woke to the hammering of the rain on the windows, a heavy drumbeat cancelling out other noise in the house. She reached sleepily for her phone to check the time, despite having a clock on the wall. It was already 8pm, they were supposed to go out for a nice meal at 7 with Rachel but it didn't sound like she was home yet or she would have woken them.

"No sign of Rach." Max said, rolling over to face Chloe. "Want to go out without her?"

"In this weather?" Chloe asked lazily.

"I could always cook you something then." Max smiled, kissing the birthday girl's nose.

"I'd rather you just stayed in bed and kissed me." Chloe said. "You can be my birthday meal."

"Oh... I think I might be able to agree to that." She smirked. "And I had a nice dress planned out and everything."

"No you didn't." Chloe whispered, exploring her girlfriend's body once more.

"You're right... I didn't." Max gasped.

* * *

Chloe was the first one downstairs in the morning while Max got a shower. She would have joined her if her stomach wasn't growling uncontrollably at her. They really shouldn't have skipped dinner, but Chloe wanted as much time with Max as possible. She took her to photoshoots, she laughed with the models, she had a great time, but it wasn't the same as having Max all to herself and she missed the time she had with her during the road trip to LA.

She'd expected to find Rachel already downstairs, but there was no sign of the blonde, her car keys weren't on the table like normal. She shrugged her shoulders and opened the fridge, looking for something to snack on before commiting to cooking, or burning bread. It was unusual for Rachel not to have sent a text or called if she was staying out late, but Chloe had been along to some of the after-shoot parties the models would throw if they were in a partying mood. She'd even had to pry a number of the models away from Max on more than one occassion. Rachel had probably lost track of time, or didn't want to disturb their quality time.

She sat at the dining table with a cup of orange juice and a bowl of cereal, digging in quite happily when Max came down the stairs in her bathrobe.

"Heard from Rach?" Max asked, rubbing her hair with a towel.

"No." She answered between spoonfuls. "Her car keys aren't here either."

"We're supposed to be on a shoot today." Max said, dropping into the chair beside Chloe.

"So no late night partying last night?"

"Not if they're on for today, no. They know my rules." Max said, taking a sip of Chloe's juice.

"No hangovers on Max's shoot?"

"I don't mind hangovers, I just don't like them being late. Hangovers can add to the look in their eyes, their pain, their misery..." Max scratched her nose. "Now I'm sounding like Jefferson."

"Except you don't drug people and lock them in a bunker. Though... I wouldn't say no to you tying me up."

Max couldn't help but laugh. "Not my thing." She kissed her cheek. "I prefer my subjects to participate."

"Want me to drive you to work?" Chloe asked.

"Of course, I need my lovable chauffeur. And if Rach is there you can tell her off for not coming home on your birthday."

"I'll grab my shower while you get your bony ass dressed then." She said.

While Chloe disappeared upstairs to shower, Max was left alone downstairs, playing with the photo from the day before that had been left on the table. She felt an undeniable pull towards it, like the first time she'd used a photo to jump into the past. The laughter of the two girls was echoing around her mind, she was almost focused enough, but quickly put the item down. She had no reason to return to that moment, no reason to ruin Chloe's birthday. She stood up and stretched, then followed her punk girl upstairs.

Her choice of clothes for the day were relatively simple, the black jeans Rachel had bought for her some months ago, the black leather jacket Chloe had bought her for Christmas and the blue butterfly shirt from their shopping trip in Seattle. She could never decide on her choice of footwear, torn between the easy to wear sneakers and the boots Rachel had bought her for Christmas. Slowly those two girls were trying to turn her punk, she swore it was their joint plan.

"Wear the boots." Chloe said, coming out of their bathroom in a towel. "You always stand there wondering, I'm telling you to wear the boots."

Max laughed. "You know me too well."

"That isn't a bad thing. Nice choice of clothes by the way." Chloe said, opening her side of the wardrobe to pull out a choice of clothes.

"It's all just... shouting out at me today." Max said, crossing her arms uncomfortably.

"What do you mean?" Chloe asked, getting dressed quickly.

"They're all things you or Rachel have bought me, and downstairs the picture was... really easy to focus on."

"You almost did a photo jump by accident?" Chloe said, the top half of her head appearing from below her side of the bed.

"Yeah. It's like..." She shivered. "I haven't tried to rewind, but it feels like time is really weak, like it's only loosely pulled across events."

"What does that mean?" Chloe stood up, wearing her own monochromatic butterfly vest top, which she hadn't worn in two months.

"I don't know, but it's making me feel uneasy."

"Maybe it will pass."

"I hope so." Max said, finally getting dressed.

* * *

The weather was still foul, the rain hammered the streets outside creating deep puddles on the footpaths, trees being abused by the vicious winds. Max had to go in to do the shoot, it was indoors so they would be perfectly dry, but something about the weather triggered her memories. This was the same weather they experienced in Arcadia Bay. She looked out towards the beach, expecting to see a tornado working it's way towards them.

"Come on Max!" Chloe yelled from her truck, their trusty vehicle.

Max rushed over to the passenger door, pulling it open to get in quickly, her jacket already soaked from the storm.

"Couldn't call in sick, could you?" Chloe asked, looking up into the sky at the dark clouds.

"Let me check." Max said, taking out her phone and dialling one of the other photographers. "Hey Sarah, are we still on for the shoot today? No...? Nobody called me? Oh okay, yeah I see... That's fine... Okay I'll see you when the weather improves." She hung up the phone and looked to Chloe. "Not needed."

"Then why didn't they call you?"

"She said they called Rachel to let me know, a guy answered and he promised to pass the message along." Max shrugged.

"That explains why we haven't seen Rach." Chloe laughed.

"At least she's found somebody." Max smiled.

"Okay... now we run back to the house, strip out of these soaked clothes, cuddle up on the couch and watch shit tv." Chloe said.

"That sounds excellent." Max said, looking out at the weather, but refusing to move. "So why aren't you moving?" She asked Chloe.

"I... I was working up the energy." Chloe smirked.

"Count of three?"

"One." Chloe said.

"Two." Said Max.

"Three." They said together, opening their doors, jumping out, slamming them shut and sprinting for the cover of their home. Max was the first to the door, her key ready to unlock it and get back into the warmth.

"Where the fuck is this weather coming from?" Max asked, kicking her boots off. "We check for this shit, nothing worse than going to a shoot and getting soaked because somebody didn't update you on the weather."

"Fuck if I know, but I'm not complaining right now. I get to spend more time with you." Chloe said, shutting the door. She kicked off her own boots, then started peeling off her soaked jacket and jeans.

"I'll call Rach, see if she's going to be able to get home." Max said, stripping off her soaked jacket and jeans.

"Okay, if she needs us to go and get her though..." Chloe pulled a funny face, looking at the weather.

Max opened her contacts, scrolled down to Rachel and clicked call. It rang and rang, then eventually kicked into answer phone.

"No answer." Max said, hanging up.

"She's probably making the most of a warm body." Chloe laughed, pulling Max into her arms. "Like we could be doing."

"I thought we were going to watch shit tv?" Max said, pouting playfully.

"Well we could... but how much watching would we actually do?"

"I'll give you that Chloe." Max said, kissing her girlfriend.

* * *

Another night passed and still they hadn't heard from Rachel. Max had tried calling her again in the morning, then Chloe had tried calling her in the afternoon, but it clicked through to voicemail both times. It wasn't like Rachel not to be in touch, even when she stayed at a party without them she would text and bug Chloe or Max because she couldn't be parted from them. Chloe was getting antsy, pacing the dining room and checking her phone every couple of minutes. Max had called a number of the other models trying to work out who she'd gone home with, and while they were all wonderful people, none of them knew.

"This isn't right." Chloe said for the hundredth time. Max stayed seated at the dining table, every attempt to calm Chloe down so far had been met with resistance, it was easier to let her pace.

"I've checked with everybody Chloe. I don't know where she is."

"I know Max, but this isn't like her. In four years she has never kept me waiting, never been out of contact." Max closed her eyes. She could remember only one time Rachel had left Chloe waiting, and it was because she was dead. Max couldn't voice such a bad feeling though, she didn't want to be overly dramatic.

A loud knock came from their front door.

"Thank fuck!" Chloe almost shouted. "Probably forgot her keys or some shit." She swung the door open and whatever speech she had lined up died in her throat.

"Chloe?" Max said, rushing towards the front door.

"Miss Price?" Chloe nodded. "Miss Caulfield?" Max nodded to confirm who she was. "I'm Detective Bradbury, this is Detective Peterson. May we come in?" A tall older man said, showing them his badge.

"What's going on?" Chloe asked, stepping aside.

"I'm afraid we've got some bad news." Peterson said, the other detective, younger than the man who'd introduced them.

"What's happened?" Max said, stuck where she was standing, unable to move. Something wasn't right.

"Would you mind if we took a seat?" Bradbury said, indicating the couch and chairs.

Chloe slowly closed the door behind the two officers, walking over to help Max sit on the couch. She felt numb, she felt wrong. The two officers sat in the chairs uncomfortably, perched on the end ready to spring into action.

"Miss Rachel Amber is a member of this household, correct?" Bradbury asked softly.

"Yes." Chloe answered, Max's mind was already running ahead of itself to think.

"When was the last time you saw her?"

"A couple of days ago, it was my birthday." Chloe said, squeezing Max's hand tightly.

"I'm really sorry young ladies..." Bradbury said, running a hand over his chin. "We believe Miss Amber's body was recovered this morning in the Marina Vista Park."

"What?" Chloe said, disbelief etched across her face.

"No." Max mumbled, her hand going to her mouth in shock.

"We're going to need you to come down to the Medical Examiner's office and officially identify the body." Bradbury said apologetically.

"Have you told her Dad?" Max asked, her brain finally clicking into place.

"We have, but he's unable to get a flight here and informed us to contact the pair of you, as you had seen her more recently and were very close friends."

"How did she die?" Chloe asked, her voice hollow.

"We can discuss all that at the ME's office if you like." The officer said, standing up.

"Max..." Chloe said, looking sideways at her girlfriend.

"I know." She said, getting up and retrieving the picture from the kitchen. They were going to need it.

Despite Chloe's protesting to bring their own truck, the two officers were rather insistent that they ride with them. Max knew why, it was still an open case and right now all fingers were pointing at them even if they were innocent and as shocked as they could possibly be. They were led quietly into a small room where they sat down at a small table, offered a drink or a snack, but then left in the presence of Detective Bradbury, who was quietly doing something on his phone.

"How did she die, Detective?" Chloe asked again, her knuckles white on the table.

"We believe she was drugged, Miss Price." Bradbury said, looking up from his phone. "But there were no other markings on her body to suggest torture or assault."

The door behind them opened and a nice looking young woman entered with the other detective. She was wearing a suit, her dark hair was tied up in a perfect bun, her smile one of sorrow and understanding.

"Hello Miss Price, Miss Caulfield. I am Miss O'Neill and I am a grief counsellor." The woman said, sitting across from them. "I will be with you both throughout the entire identification process, we can stop at any time, you can take as long as you like. I am so very sorry for your loss, especially at such a young age." The woman placed a clipboard on the desk, a photo on top of it face down. "We don't need to go in to see her like in the movies, the whole process will be done in this room with a photograph. Okay?"

Chloe nodded, her arms crossed in front of her. Max could see the cracks in her resolve, one good push and she would shatter before her into a thousand pieces. She reached out a hand and took hold of Chloe's, who quickly opened her arms to hug Max tightly.

"When you're ready, just turn the photo over, take your time. You only need to nod or shake your head."

Max couldn't bring herself to do it, couldn't bring herself to look at the face of Rachel knowing she wouldn't smile or laugh again. Chloe did though, she had a strength Max had never seen in her before. But as soon as her eyes fell upon the face of her best friend the resolve shattered, just as Max predicted. She nodded her affirmative and immediately broke down in tears. They held and consoled each other, tears streaming down both of their faces.

"Max... why her?" Chloe cried.

"I'm so sorry Chloe." Max said through sobs, trying to control herself. She slipped the photo from Chloe's birthday out of her pocket, looking at the happy smile on Rachel's face. She was determined, despite all their happiness over the last couple of days it wasn't worth the death of their friend. She focused all her will on the photo, ready to go back. She had no idea what she was going to say, but she had to stop Rachel leaving.

* * *

Rachel took the photo out of the camera, just like before. Max was momentarily stunned.

"There's some colour missing from it." She mused, handing the picture to Chloe.

"Yeah, something isn't quite right." Chloe agreed.

Max remained quiet, staring at the blonde haired girl, happy to see her alive. She jumped out of her chair and almost tackled the poor girl, embracing her tightly as tears started to spill down her face.

"Max? What's going on?" Rachel asked, completely surprised.

"I don't have long. I've had to use a photo jump." She said quickly.

"Max, explain." Chloe said, standing up.

"I'm from two days from now." Max said first. "Rachel was killed, we don't know how. We don't know who did it. I don't know how else to fix it. You disappeared today." She said, holding Rachel's hands, begging her to believe what she was saying. "Please... don't go out today? Stay safe?"

"Max, are you sure? You've not had to do one of these in months." Chloe said, the world was starting to fade away from her.

"I'm sure Chloe. Keep her safe!" She felt Rachel's arms close around her as she snapped away from them, afraid of what she would snap back to.

* * *

"Max! Run!" She heard, followed by the sounds of gunshots. She dropped to the ground, trying to get her bearings. They were on the second floor of their house, Chloe was on the floor gasping in pain, but there was no sign of Rachel anywhere. She had no idea what the fuck was going on. She turned towards the stairs and saw a male body against the wall, blood oozing from the bullet holes in his chest.

"Max." Chloe said painfully. Max crawled over to her and almost broke down again, she'd been shot in the chest and leg.

"Oh no, no Chloe no." Max said.

"Rewind?" Chloe asked, gasping sharply.

"I can't... I can't... I just snapped back." Max cried, hating her shitty luck. "Where's the party photo?"

"Pocket." Chloe winced. Max checked her pockets as quickly as possible, stopping on the left pocket where she'd been shot.

"This... no no no." She said, pulling the crumpled edge of the photo out of the damaged pocket. The photo had a hole in it. "Hang on Chloe, please hang on."

"You saved our girl." Chloe said weakly.

"But I'm losing you. Please hold on!" She scrambled, trying to get the phone from her pocket. Emergency services had already been called, there was nothing more she could do.

"Max. I'm so proud of you." Chloe whispered, taking hold of Max's face in her bloody hands.

"Please, please hold on! I love you Chloe!" Max shouted.

"I love you..." Chloe said as her last breath escaped her lips.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" Max screamed, there was nothing she could do, she couldn't rewind past the snap back and freezing time wouldn't work either. The party photo was destroyed. "Fuck!" She yelled harder as she heard people moving around downstairs. She felt somebody gently pulling her away from the love of her life, who she'd now lost a second time. She kicked and screamed trying to get back to her, tears streaming down her face as the medical personnel went to work trying to revive her. She had no idea if Rachel was alive, and now she'd lost Chloe too.


	11. City of Pain

Rachel lay beside her in the back of the ambulance, an injection mark noticable in her neck where the intruder had apparently drugged her. Max was glad to see she was still alive, but she couldn't bear the thought of being without Chloe. She could only think of using one of their other photos together to return to the past and try to fix it again, but after her breakdown in the house the medics had seen it fit to try to sedate her for her own protection, making her thoughts feel sluggish and slow. She could still see Chloe's face every time she closed her eyes, her beautiful blue hair that framed those gorgeous blue eyes so perfectly. She could feel the touch of her lips and her skin, the emotions and memories of their moments in bed together brought on another uncontrollable flood of tears.

Police officers tried to take statements from her regularly once she was admitted to hospital, but every question brought her back to the point of inconsolable grief and pain. Her actions had resulted in this outcome, her decision to go back to try to save Rachel without a proper plan, without knowing who was behind it or why.

She spent most of her time crying herself to sleep wishing she could wake up in Chloe's arms one last time. Only to wake up in the hospital, alone, without the girl she had tried to change the world for. Max wasn't aware of the passing of days anymore, though when Rachel finally visited her she was glad to see a friendly face.

Rachel climbed onto the hospital bed with her, holding her so close and so tight as she cried her heart out again and again, until she couldn't cry any more and drifted off into an exhausted sleep.

* * *

She woke up at home in her bed, reluctant to roll over and find the bed empty, missing the one girl she wished she could see. It had been a week since the home invasion, a week of nothing but crying, sleeping and some very reluctant eating. She'd tried old photos to jump back and fix her mistake, but her mind still felt dull and thick, she couldn't connect to the power. Her catalyst was gone, dead because of her. Rachel would regularly fall asleep with her as she cried, both of them locked in a never ending cycle of depression and crying.

"Hey Max." Rachel whispered, sitting beside her on the bed.

"Hey." She said, the horrible truth of the bed being empty sinking in.

"Do you want to talk?" Rachel asked softly.

"I... I..." She wiped the oncoming flood of tears from her eyes. "I don't know how to fix this." She sobbed.

"I know sweetie." Rachel said, gently stroking Max's hair.

"I should have had a better plan. I..." She wiped her eyes. "I've just lived through losing you, and now I have to live through losing her... and... I can't even use my powers to get her back."

"Still can't focus on the pictures?"

"No. I try but... I can't hear the memory, I can't feel the location it's just... a fucking picture." She said, throwing the closest one to the floor in anger, and disgust at herself.

"Let's... go out. Get you something nice." Rachel offered.

"Why? What's the point?" Max said, clenching her fists ready for a fight.

"Because if your dark mood is affecting your powers... we need to lighten you up. We have to try Max." Rachel said. "And... we need a plan. If your powers come back, we need a plan."

Max wanted to resist, to remain in her bed with the smell of Chloe, remember how it felt to touch her skin, to kiss those lips. But Rachel was right, she had to try something, as much as she wanted to do nothing. She reluctantly sat up, fully dressed just as she'd been the day before. Rachel helped her down the stairs slowly, whatever damage had been done to their home had been cleaned away, it looked just as they left it when going to the ME's office in the previous timeline. They went out to Rachel's car, passing Chloe's old truck which caused many memories to flood her mind. Falling asleep on Chloe as Rachel drove, all the laughs they had during those awfully long trips.

Rachel didn't give her the time to slip back into those dark thoughts, gently bundling her into her car, a consoling grip on her knee as they drove to a small diner down the road.

When they were settled into a booth, Rachel put her hands across the table to hold Max's, who briefly resisted the idea. The girl who was sat across from her was the very reason Chloe was dead. She had traded Rachel for Chloe and it was eating her up inside.

"Max... what happened when I died?" She asked quietly.

"We didn't know until... two days after..." She took a deep breath. "After her birthday. We tried calling you the next day but never got an answer. Then... detectives showed up on the door and told us they'd found your body. I took the party photo when we went to identify you, and as soon as we... I used it. And I warned you guys and then..." She closed her eyes, trying not to remember the state of Chloe's body because she couldn't rewind.

"The guy got in, injected me with some shit and... the next thing I know I'm in an ambulance with you screaming. They sedated you, said you were traumatised."

"I'd just traded my girlfriend's life for yours." Max said coldly.

"I'm so sorry Max, you know I loved her too, you know I never wanted anything bad to happen to her."

"So... if I can ever go back, I have to warn us to what? Get out of the house?" Max said, shaking her head. "Or shall I warn us in San Francisco, never to come to LA?"

"I... I don't know Max."

"I don't know either Rachel. I... I don't know how I could get it all so wrong." She wiped a tear from her eyes. "We were supposed to live our lives, not get torn apart after only four months!" She wanted to scream, to tear Rachel down.

"I had... no idea he'd do that." Rachel admitted quietly.

"Who?" Max said, taken aback.

"The guy who... who..." Rachel was the one to stop wiping her eyes now.

"You fucking knew him?"

"It... did you not see the news?" Rachel asked.

"I've spent the last week... crying my heart out for the girl I let a fucking town die for." Max hissed.

"It was Mark Jefferson."

"What the fuck? How the fuck did he know where to find us? Why the fuck would he... what the fuck is going on?!" Max demanded.

"They... let him off. Not enough evidence, the drugged girl changed her statement, said it was a photography project... and the cameras in his little bunker were never activated. They didn't have enough evidence to say he perpetrated a crime."

"Oh... they fucking do now. My girlfriend is dead because of that sick fucking perv! I gave them his head on a fucking spit!" She was trying not to raise her voice, trying to be considerate of the other diners but she was angry.

"My Dad was..."

"He's the fucking DA. He let him off?" Rachel nodded. "Oh fuck... fuck..." Max could feel the anger building, with no way to channel it. "Wait... you said you knew him?"

"I... before..." Rachel was stuttering. "I knew him, before you made your phonecall that got him arrested. I... was seeing him."

"You're... I knew about Frank but... Jefferson?!" Max hissed. "The note in the hideout... it wasn't about Frank, it was about Jefferson. He was going to change your life?"

"I thought he was, and then that phonecall changed everything. And... I've hated and loved you ever since. You saved my life, but you took away my chance at something too." Rachel admitted. "And then... you got us to LA, you helped me with the modeling, you spent so much time on all of that for me... and you..."

"I lost a day in Portland because of you. I thought I wasn't going to even get to see Chloe's face again and now..." Max pulled her hands away from Rachel. "Now I won't get to see her, because I tried to save you, again."

"Max..." Rachel looked defeated, absolutely torn apart. "I'm always trying to be the best person for everybody, the perfect daughter, the perfect friend. With you and Chloe, I could be me, and even on my darkest days you were both there for me."

"But you still lied to Chloe about Frank, about Jefferson. You were lying to somebody who loved you. You even asked me to lie for you!"

"I know... and I should have told her the truth while..." Rachel started to say.

"While she was still alive to forgive you, because I know just how she fucking reacted when she found out about Frank."

"You told her?"

"She found that fucking picture in the RV in that timeline, she felt betrayed, she felt completely betrayed by you Rachel." Max felt some of the grief easing from her shoulders. This is what she should have told Chloe while she was alive.

"I... forgot." Rachel said. "I know you told me, but... oh fuck."

"I protected her, from your lies. I protected her, from your shit." Max said quietly. "And I couldn't protect her from that fucking psychopath."

"That isn't your fault though Max." Rachel said, reaching out to take her hands again. "Max... I know I've messed up, but believe me when I tell you, I love that girl, maybe not as much as you, but I would gladly trade places with her if it meant she got to live and be happy. I would trade places in a fucking heartbeat."

"You would?" Max asked.

"Max... she has so much more to live for than me. For a start, she has somebody willing to change everything just for her, no matter the cost to them. I would give anything for that! Somebody who loves me as I am, flaws and all."

"We did love you for who you are. I just..." Max looked out the window onto the road outside. "I just sacrificed Chloe so you wouldn't die, drugged and possibly alone. You really think you don't have somebody who loves you, flaws and all?"

It was strange to see Rachel smile at a time like this, but she did. "I guess I never appreciate just what I've got. Until it's gone."

"And now... I need to find a way to get her back." Max said softly. "I need my powers back."

* * *

It had been two days since their Diner discussion, eleven days since Rachel had originally gone missing. Max still couldn't so much as rewind time. She paced her bedroom, thinking of everything they had discussed about her powers, how Chloe was her catalyst, how it was tied to her emotional connection to Chloe. She loved her, she wouldn't be feeling so much pain if she didn't, but she couldn't tap into that supernatural power that had helped them so often. She would throw pieces of paper at a bin and try to rewind it, or freeze it, anything to open her connection to her powers.

Four days after the diner, Rachel had taken to sitting with her and they would throw a ball between them with the same goal in mind. Their disagreement forgotten, best friends once more. Max felt no closer to that connection, the connection with Chloe. She tried staring at pictures of Chloe for hours on end, wishing they'd start to shimmer, or activate her emotions.

"Fuck!" She yelled, waking Rachel up. "Sorry." She added quietly.

"Still nothing?" She asked, sitting up on the bed and rubbing her eyes, trying to look at the clock.

"I just can't find it..." Max said, sitting on the end of the bed defeated. "It's like... it's right there, on the tips of my fingers, but I can't get the grip to..."

"Rewind." Rachel finished, nodding.

"Yeah." Max said. "I keep thinking of that feeling when Chloe and I were... and it just activated. The shock, the feelings, the whole thing."

"You've never felt that since?"

"No." Max pulled her knees up to her chest, thinking of Chloe, what Chloe would do. Nothing would help.

"You know what attracted me to Chloe?" Rachel said, sitting beside Max.

"Is this really the time?" Max asked.

"I think so." Rachel smiled. "I loved how she just didn't give a fuck what people thought of her. I loved how badass she was. I loved how loyal she was, how she would make these stupid gestures when really I just loved that company."

"She was awesome." Max said, smiling at the memory of her girlfriend. "I remember when she almost ran me over in the Blackwell parking lot, the look of shock on her face to see me. But straight away I trusted her, I'd missed her so much."

"I remember when she talked back at Wells so hard, making sure I got to stay in the play at the expense of getting her expelled." Rachel laughed. "She went down swinging."

"That's my girl." Max smiled, a warm bubble in her heart.

"And when she got dragged into playing a part in that play. Oh her face. She said no, and still did it."

Something seemed to click in Max's mind, something Chloe once said when she was falling apart. She looked at Rachel and smiled, taking hold of her hand.

"When she stood up to my Dad, firing back the most logical attacks when she just wanted to scream and shout. I heard every word... and she was..."

"Perfect." Max said, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"She saved my life... she took me to the hospital when..." Rachel wiped a tear away. "She did everything I ask of her without a second thought, without a doubt. Always so confident." Rachel looked at her and smiled, and Max could see exactly what Chloe meant all those months ago. Rachel leaned in slowly, uncomfortably, and stole the kiss she'd wanted back in Max's bedroom, the kiss that shouldn't have happened, that hadn't happened after the rewind. Max had no idea why she'd allowed it, why she had kissed her best friend, but it felt perfect and completing. Lost in the emotions they felt not for each other, but for Chloe. They broke apart and looked at the world around them.

"What... the... fuck." Rachel said, awe in her eyes.

"Chloe once told me..." Max said, tears streaming down her face. "That you complete parts of her and... I can see that. I see parts of her in you. Just like I could always see parts of you in her."

"Max... is this..." Rachel looked around at the frozen room, the clock remained motionless.

"Frozen time." Max confirmed, trying to wipe the tears from her eyes.

"Oh my God Max."

"Welcome to the club." Max smiled weakly.

"But... I don't mean this in the wrong way but... I don't feel about you like..." Rachel said.

"I don't feel about you that way either, but you are my best friend Rachel and you are part of Chloe as she is part of you." Max grinned. "Now I need to save Chloe."

"Then we need a good fucking plan." Rachel said, releasing Max's hand and returning time to normal. "God that feels..."

"Weird?"

"Hella awesome." Rachel smiled.

"You aren't going to remember any of this after the selfie jump." Max said, looking through some of their options.

"You... will need to remind me." Rachel said, looking for some of the discarded photos.

"And how am I supposed to do that?" Max asked.

"Kiss me, like that, again." Rachel grinned. "You're the one who wanted to keep those shared memories Max. You'll just have to do your best."

"Chloe's going to be pissed." Max said, dumping a shoebox full of photos on the bed.

"Or she'll enjoy it..." Rachel smirked.

"We need a photo after the first message about you going missing, and save me from having to explain everything."

"That rules out... all of these." Rachel said, pushing the shoebox off the bed and holding up two photos in her hand. "These are all we took."

Max looked at the two pictures, one of her holding Chloe, the other of all three of them.

"Which happened first?" She asked.

"I... don't remember." Rachel answered, looking between the two. "I think I took this one of the two of you." She said, holding up the shot of Chloe and Max.

"It will have to do." Max said, taking the photo.

"Max..."

"What?"

"If... if I die again. Let me go, okay? Save Chloe, but don't risk losing her again for me." Rachel said, a tear in her eye. "I couldn't live with myself knowing what you've gone through only to keep losing her for me."

Max shook her head. "We're all getting out of this." She said, holding Rachel's hands. "We didn't just learn to do this..." She froze time around them and smiled. "...to lose it."

"Good luck Time-Lady." Rachel said, kissing Max's cheek one more time.

She stared at the photo of her and Chloe, desperately trying to reach her. She could hear Rachel counting down, the laughter when the three of them are together. She wanted to be there, with them... with Chloe.

* * *

"Are you okay Max?" Rachel asked, lowering the camera.

Max looked around at Chloe and flung her arms around her, kissing her lips like she hadn't felt them in years.

"Okay." Chloe said, kissing back but trying to prise the girl off. "What's up? What's happened now?"

"It's all so fucked up." Max said honestly.

"Start at the beginning, we already know to keep Rachel safe..." Chloe said, holding her girlfriend tightly.

"You were shot and killed as I snapped back." Max said quickly. "I couldn't rewind... I couldn't save you."

"Shit... how many days ahead are you now?" Rachel asked.

"Twelve days from now, the home invasion happens tomorrow. Make a plan, do something, leave here if you have to, but do not get shot, and do not rely on my powers." Max explained. "It's Jefferson, he's coming for us."

"Why the fuck is he coming for us?" Chloe asked, but all Max could do was shrug.

"I've told you all I can, but please Chloe..." She held onto the girl with everything she had. "Please don't leave me."

"Never Max."

* * *

**3 Days before the snap back.**

Chloe sat uncomfortably in the hospital room, surrounded by the people she didn't want to share space with. Mr Amber was sat patiently reading his newspaper, Joyce and David were out in the corridor talking to one of the doctors. Vanessa and Ryan Caulfield were sat either side of Chloe, their hands gripping hers like they were afraid she was about to float away from them. They'd all been like this for six days, waiting patiently while the Doctors ran their tests looking for answers. Nobody would allow themselves to go home, a family had to be in the room at all times yet Chloe never left. She slept by the bed, she ate by the bed. She would reluctantly leave for the bathroom but take as little time as possible just so she could get back.

Nobody could explain to Chloe just what was going on. They'd use long phrases to say they didn't have a fucking clue. To begin with she had cried, cried for hours as she tried to make sense of it all, as she mourned the dead. But now her energy was here, in this hospital room. Willing the girl in that bed to hold on, to fight for her life. Everybody was waiting for answers, some were holding onto hope and Chloe... she was holding on for grim life. She could not imagine what her life would be like if both of her girls died. According to Max she'd been without them both before and it had been a lonely death in a bathroom that awaited her, this time... she didn't know.

"Still no news." Joyce said, entering the private hospital room and sitting beside Vanessa, squeezing the woman's other hand. "David's gone to get you some coffee honey."

"Thanks Mom." Chloe replied, looking into the corridor at the two police officers who had been stationed outside. "Are they ever going to leave?" She asked.

"Who darling?"

"Those cops."

"No." Mr Amber said, folding his newspaper. "Not until they've caught the scumbag."

"I already told them who did it, how hard is it to find a school teacher?" Chloe said.

"It's only your word Miss Price. They're doing their jobs."

"How can you be so calm about this?" Ryan said, getting out of his chair.

"Because I want justice for our daughters, Mr Caulfield." Mr Amber looked tired to Chloe, but he was under the same pressure as the rest of them.

"What about Nathan Prescott?" Chloe asked.

"What about him?"

"He was Jefferson's accomplice wasn't he? Maybe he knows something."

"Mr Prescott is still in the mental hospital he was admitted to when we tried to question him some months ago. I doubt he'd have any information."

"Did Jefferson visit him? I mean... why else would Jefferson come after Max and Rachel?" Chloe wanted to get to the bottom of this, by any means necessary.

"We haven't asked." Mr Amber admitted. "We don't know why he would go there, or why he targeted the girls but... they are investigating."

"Well I can't sit on my hands waiting." Chloe said defiantly. "If the police won't look into Nathan, I will." She pulled herself away from the Caulfields and storming out of the room with her black jacket in hand. She almost walked straight into David, who was just outside the doors.

"Careful Chloe." He said, holding the two cups of coffee away from her.

"Sorry David just... in a rush." She said.

"Going where? Shouldn't you be in there with her? That girl needs you."

"I'm going to Portland, to have a word with Nathan Fucking Prescott." She said angrily.

"We're not going to be able to stop you, are we?" Mr Amber said from the door behind her.

"Fuck no. If he has answers, I fucking want them."

"David... would you accompany Miss Price back to Portland?" Mr Amber said quietly.

"I don't fucking need help." Chloe hissed.

"I need somebody reliable to corroborate anything Mr Prescott may tell you, I want Jefferson just as much as you do. This is the address we were given."

"Fine." Chloe said, pulling her jacket on.

"I'll look after her Mr Amber. We'll be back before you know it." David said.

"Hey, Mr Amber." Chloe said tentatively. "Let me know, if she wakes up?"

"Of course Miss Price. Good luck."

* * *

After almost a three hour flight to Portland and another thirty minute drive to the address they'd been given, Chloe was pretty sick of the silence and David. When he did talk he kept going on about how strong the three of them were, and how she'd pull through. When he didn't, she could feel his eyes looking at her as though she was about to fall apart and crumble. But there was a fire burning deep inside her, Rachel's rage coupled with Max's tenacity to get the answers, there was no way she would let either of them down. She had to do this for them. It was midday when they arrived at a gated building.

"He gets his own private mental hospital?" Chloe said, shaking her head. "Fucking rich assholes."

"You sure about this Chloe?" David asked.

"Damn right I am."

"Err... Hi, we're here to see Nathan Prescott." David said out of the window into a small speaker by the gate.

"Do you have an appointment?" A woman's voice said back.

"Police business." David said, showing Chloe the Police badge he had on his hip. "I love this thing." He whispered.

"Come on in."

"Thank you." David said, moving the vehicle as the gates parted.

Chloe was the first out of the car when they pulled up to the main entrance, her black jacket pulled tight around her. It was an old building, with those stupid gargoyles high up on the fence posts and corner stones of the building. The large oak door opened and a frail looking woman came out, a sweet smile on her old face.

"How can we help you today?" She asked politely.

"I want to see Nathan Prescott." Chloe said

"And I'd like to look the list of his recent visitors."

"You can see Nathan, but I don't think we can give you those records." The lady said.

"I'll see him." Said Chloe, turning to David. "Please... let me handle this?" She said. For the first time in his life, David nodded and agreed to her request.

She followed the old woman through the corridors of the hospital, weaving around other rich patients who were stood looking at walls or sat in chairs spinning around. She felt a little sorry for these people, locked away behind walls, or locked in their own heads by medication. It made her think of the hospital bed back in LA, which she just couldn't think about right now. She had to focus.

"Here is Nathan's room." The lady said, stopping next to room 111. "I'll check with our manager about providing your friend with the visitor list.

"Thank you." Chloe said as the woman walked away quietly.

She stepped up to the door of Nathan's room, taking a deep breath as she prepared for the plunge. Stepping into the room she saw how messed up Nathan had become. The walls were covered with black and white drawings, many with words across them like _'Max in the Dark Room'_ or _'Rachel in the Dark Room.'_ Other pictures were demonic looking, worrying her about what Nathan might say.

"Oh, it's you." Nathan said from his desk in the corner, where he had piles of pieces of paper and dozens of dull pencils.

"Hey Nathan." Chloe said. "Spoken to any psychopaths lately?"

"We're surrounded by psychopaths, millions of them. They see the world in such three dimensions, never seeing the fourth. But I see the fourth. I see the darkest pieces of us all." Nathan said, scribbling away on his paper.

"I... meant one in particular."

"Oh... oh which line are we in now?" Nathan stopped drawing, looking at the walls. "Oh... that one. Yep. Not a good one. Not for you anyway." He laughed happily, his eyes lighting up with such happiness. "You and Max, Max and you, Max and you and Rachel. Rachel and Max. I bet you didn't see that one coming did you? NO! You never see it coming you dumb bitch!" He scratched his head, then continued drawing.

"You know Max?" She asked, she wasn't aware they'd met in this timeline.

"Know Max? That bitch ratted me in for having a gun! Or did she? I'm not sure. She could never make up her mind, dumb bitch. Did she kiss you? Or reject you like everybody else?" Chloe bit back the retort she wanted to yell, she didn't want to get thrown out without information. "Compared to you, Max was a fucking genius. Simple tricks, she thinks big, fucks it up but thinks it at least. You don't."

Chloe scratched her own head nervously, looking a little closer at one of the drawings on the wall.

"That one is important, it's always three. Three deaths, three lives, three kisses. Three at the start, it's always three."

"Three at the start?" Chloe asked.

"You, and me and Maxine makes three." He rhymed. "The gifted, the giftee and the witness makes three."

"So... I gave Max her powers?"

"NO!" He yelled, scratching out his piece of paper and throwing it to the floor. "You'll never understand the gift she's given you, you'll never reach your limits."

"What about Jefferson?"

"He killed me, Chloe. He used me and threw me away... then Max made it all better and I survived the storm... the storm... that eye..." He pulled out a new piece of paper and started scribbling in a circular motion. "But then she betrayed me and got me arrested! To save Rachel. Rachel who should have been in the dark room, who died because of Jefferson. Over and over because of Jefferson."

"Did you... did you tell him where we were?"

"No no no. I... didn't know. But he saw the drawings, he understood them, he understood FATE. Rachel was destined to die, and Max should have followed. But you... you got in the way, like the stupid little butterfly you are. You spread your wings for one glorious day and dazzle everybody in your beauty and then... chaos. I told him... I told him of Max's betrayal, he was always such a good listener. He... he always knew my Dad would pay him well."

Silence fell between them, broken only by Nathan's incessant scribbling. Another picture on the wall showed a very rough image of the tornado destroying Arcadia Bay, with the lighthouse in the image. Two small people were stood on the edge.

"Your triumphant moment." Nathan said, calmer than before. "You could have left and never looked back, or died and never met Max again. Which would you choose now?"

"I... I would always choose Max." Chloe answered, looking at the calm demeanour that had fallen over Nathan.

"But you were selfish, you wanted Rachel too." He observed.

"Yeah, I guess I was."

"And now Max has died, and Rachel has died and you have died. Over and over to get here now. You're always playing defense." He said. "Jefferson wants revenge, he wants his life back.

"I just want Max." Chloe said, hugging herself.

"No!" He shouted, scratching a line through the page again. "No no no!"

Chloe stepped back as he threw his papers onto the floor.

"It's not right, it's all wrong, always changing, always wrong. No!" He yelled again.

Chloe backed out of the room carefully, feeling as though she'd heard enough, she knew why Jefferson was after them, but it wasn't information Mr Amber could use. She rushed through the corridors towards the exit and found David waiting for her, an envelope in his hands.

"Got the visitor log." David said.

"Good, let's get out of here." She answered, brushing past him to get through the oak doors.

"Everything okay?" He asked.

"Got all I could get, I need to get back to LA."

"She'll pull through Chloe, that girl is tough."

"I hope so. I can't live without her." She replied, getting into the car.


	12. Survivor

**2 Days before the snap back**

The return flight from Portland to LA was worse than the trip out. David kept asking questions, with answers Chloe couldn't give. It's not like she didn't want to but what was David really going to think if she said Max could time travel? She'd end up with Nathan Prescott as a cell mate. Even the journey from the airport to the Hospital was one of tedious questioning despite the constant pounding of the rain on the windows, trying to get Chloe to open up about what Nathan had said. There was only one person she wanted to talk to about it, and they were still in the hospital bed.

Before she could reach the private room Mr Amber intercepted them in the corridor, took the envelope from David and and took her into one of the empty rooms, a look of cold calculating menace on his features.

"I told you to go in with David, so he could corroborate your story Miss Price." He said.

"He didn't give me anything anyway, mostly mumbling about time paradoxes and the tornado." Chloe said, telling half the truth. "Has she woken up?"

"No. The doctors don't think she'll ever wake up from the coma."

"Fuck!" Chloe yelled, kicking the radiator under the window.

"This says Mark Jefferson had indeed visited, not long after his release." Mr Amber said, looking through the information in the envelope. "Multiple times actually. The last time was... three weeks ago."

"But... why come after us? He was a free man!" Chloe ranted. "He could have gone and lived his fucking life..."

"His reputation was already ruined." Mr Amber said quietly. "But I don't understand why he would go after my daughter and her friends..."

"Unless he did it to get at you?" Chloe said, putting pieces together just to make them fit. She needed the DA off her back.

"I did have a few... choice... words for him but not once at any of our meetings did he show contempt for me, or threaten my family in any way."

"I want to get back to the room, are we done?" Chloe asked, crossing her arms.

"I'd just like to thank you for looking into this." Mr Amber said. "I know it mustn't have been easy."

"Too fucking right it wasn't, but I'd do it again for my girls." Chloe said, pushing past the man to get back into the corridor.

"All okay?" David asked, staying close by her.

"Yes. They know he talked to Nathan. But it's a dead end." Chloe said, pushing open the private room doors to return to the only girl she had left.

Joyce took her black jacket from her, stroking her blue hair as they embraced. Vanessa and Ryan both hugged her again and returned to their seats. Chloe dropped into the seat closest to the girl's head, close enough to gently play with the girl's hair as she slept on. She would keep her vigil until the girl woke up. She had nothing else to live for now.

She tugged gently at the bullet necklace that once more hung around her neck, recovered when the police had found the two bodies. It went well with the Raven necklace Max had gifted her all those months ago, but the weight of the bullets now felt like a noose around her neck. Max should still be wearing them, they were now Max's to wear. She felt the rush of emotions that pressed against her heart, the tears began to trickle down her face as she thought of the two girls, tortured by Mark Jefferson, just as Max had once described in the safety of her bedroom in Seattle. She had been so proud of Max to get through that ordeal once, that she'd managed to save Rachel from suffering that same fate, and now both of them had suffered through it with one of them paying the ultimate price.

She excused herself from the hospital room, found the nearest bathroom and almost threw up in the nearest toilet. She cursed herself for her plan, for trying to catch Jefferson in the act. It had been her plan, her attempt to get him off their backs for good and it had backfired horrendously.

"Fuck!" She yelled, kicking the stall door. "FUCK!" She kicked it again. "FUCK!" And again. Anything to make the pain stop, anything to bring back her girls.

"Chloe?" She heard Max's voice, she was certain of it. She kicked open the stall door and looking at the face of Vanessa Caulfield. Chloe broke down almost immediately, crying into her hands as the comforting arms of Max's mother wrapped around her.

"I am so sorry Vanessa. I couldn't protect her." She cried. "I failed her, I am so sorry."

"This isn't your fault Chloe." The woman said softly, rocking the punk girl back and forth on the bathroom floor.

"I should have been with them." She continued crying, she just couldn't hold it in any longer.

"You did everything you could Chloe. It isn't your fault."

"I could have done better." She wept, wishing she could trade her life for Max's. Max would know what to do right now.

* * *

**1 Day before the snap back**

Something in the back of her mind was telling her she was asleep, that she had to wake up before the other girl did. It was important, she had to be there. But another part of her was telling her to sleep, that she still had time. They would always have time with Max. Their problem wasn't the amount of time they had available, it was how they applied themselves to the timeline. She shook her head, irritated by the bombardment of knowledge, she just wanted to sleep. She could hear talking, something important was being said and she needed to hear it. She forced herself to wake up, finding herself on three of the chairs in the private room. David and Joyce were outside in the corridor, Ryan and Vanessa were absent, meaning they'd probably returned to their hotel for the night.

She looked up at Mr Amber, who smiled weakly at her. "What's going on?" She asked.

"They've just killed Mark Jefferson." He said. "Death by cop. Scum didn't want to face a fair trial."

"Fuck." Chloe said. "He was desperate though."

"The problem is what he released onto the internet before he died."

"What?" Chloe asked.

"Images... of Rachel and Max." He said, shaking his head.

"What kind of fucking images?" She demanded to know. He reached into his bag and pulled out a laptop, which he then opened to show Chloe. The pictures were all of Max and Rachel, in various poses or states of undress. Chloe's mouth went dry.

"DA's daughter exposed to the media." Mr Amber said. "The bastard got his revenge on me before going out."

"Oh fuck..." Chloe said, he hand over her mouth. "That sick fucking asshole." She almost shouted, remembering which room they were in. "Have you told Ryan and Vanessa?" She asked.

"They know, it's why they've gone back to their hotel. They need time to... process things."

"I'm so sorry Mr Amber." Chloe shook her head.

"I... I'm going to return to Arcadia Bay for a short time." He said, his normal facade breaking in light of recent developments. "Call me if her condition changes?" He asked.

"Of course, I'll make sure of it." Chloe said, looking over to the hospital bed. That poor girl was never going to live this down, it would chase her for the rest of her life. Chloe's head returned to the jacket somebody had placed there for her comfort, though it didn't improve anything. The only way to improve her comfort would be if she could wake up in bed with Max, the girl's bony ass pressed against her when she was interested in more than cuddling. She closed her eyes, trying to get lost in the good memories, but the bad outweighed them. She was always drawn back into the darkness, the fear, the uncertainty, the pain and her ever increasing guilt.

"Chloe." David said, breaking her from her thoughts. "Let us take you home, get you a shower and a change of clothes." He said, Joyce standing beside him.

"I don't want to leave her." She answered. "And Ryan and Vanessa aren't back yet, I don't want her waking up alone."

"I'll stay honey, you go home and freshen up. If she wakes up, she'd hate to smell you before she got to see you." Joyce said warmly.

"You and me again David." Chloe said, sitting up and grabbing her jacket.

* * *

"You've got a lovely home Chloe." David said as they stepped through the door.

"Thanks David." Chloe replied, leaning against the wall trying to gather the energy to look after herself.

"The three of you... you did a good job." He continued, looking at the dozens of pictures of the three of them.

"And now they're gone." Chloe muttered, more to herself than him. "Some job."

"Hey now. You could not have predicted this." He tried to be sympathetic, but the words stung her. They should have been able to predict this, that was Max's job.

"I'm going to... grab my shower." Chloe said, the words catching in her throat. The thought of going into their bedroom without her was a weight in her heart.

"Yeah, and new clothes." He reminded her kindly.

"We..." She took a deep breath. "I should have some juice in the fridge if you're thirsty." She said weakly. "I'm guessing the milk's gone off."

"Thanks Chloe." He said, peering through the door into the kitchen.

She made her way upstairs, trying to ignore all the pictures of Rachel and Max smiling so happily at her. Every step was a pull on her emotional state, every smiling face a knife in the heart. When she entered her's and Max's bedroom she was not prepared for the emotions that overwhelmed her. She broke down almost instantly, crashing to the floor with a bang as she began crying uncontrollable again. Everything reminded her of Max, she could see the brunette everywhere she looked. Snuggled under the bed covers, peeking at her with those sweet eyes when she was pretending to be asleep. In the doorway to their en-suite, seductively peeking round the doorframe, an arm outstretched taunting Chloe to come and get her.

The rain pounded on the bedroom window, drowning out the sounds of approaching footsteps. She felt David's arms wrap around her and try to help her to the bed, his caring attitude a complete change to what she'd endured for so many years. He consoled her like a father would, holding her tight as she cried into his stupid green shirt.

"I can't do this without her." She cried, muffled against David's shoulder.

"You can Chloe, you've got it in you." He replied, patting her back.

It was agony, pain and loneliness of the kind she'd never experienced before. That she never wanted to experience again. If only she could tap into those powers herself, like Max could. She could be the one to go back and undo all this mess.

She had no idea how long David held her for, long enough for her eyes to hurt from crying and her tears to dry up. He had been patient and caring, everything she'd never expected of him. She pulled away slowly and smiled at him.

"I'll grab that shower now." She said, he took the hint quite well.

"I'll be downstairs." He nodded, closing the door behind him as he left.

She tried to stay focused on the task at hand, getting her towel, turning on the shower. Everything was a job she had to focus on to stop the overwhelming sense of loss, to stop herself from crying again. It was the most difficult shower she had taken in her life, all because of the emotional weight nestled in her heart. She couldn't take a moment to think about anything other than getting clean or the tears would start up again.

She got out, wrapping the towel around herself and opened the door to the bedroom, avoiding looking at Max's side of the bed as much as she could. She found some clean underwear and was about to start looking through her vest tops when she stopped. There was something else she wanted to wear, though it would probably be a bit tight. She opened Max's wardrobe and pulled out the blue butterfly shirt, she needed something of Max's to feel comforted by and this was, she thought, perfect. It wasn't as tight as she thought it would be, it had always looked baggy on the petite girl, but she was surprised that it fitted her so well. She pulled on the rest of her clothes without thinking. She looked around the bedroom, a small promise being made in her heart. She closed the door behind her and went downstairs to David.

"Feel better?" He asked.

"No." She answered, pulling her black jacket back on. "Let's go." He nodded his understanding and followed her out of the door.

* * *

She was back in the private hospital room, back to waiting. There was nothing for her to do, no job to go to, to carry on like nothing happened. Some of the models from various shoots had started dropping in to pay their respects, each of them telling Chloe how sorry they were, or staying in the room with her while they had spare time. Some took to sharing stories of their shoots with Max or Rachel, of how great they were to work with and how much energy Rachel could bring to an event while Max had an awesome eye. They'd only been working for eleven weeks and they were already small legends in their own rights. It almost shattered Chloe's heart listening to so many amazing stories of the two girls, sad that their lives had been cut short so soon.

She felt her Mom's loving embrace before she realised she'd been crying again.

"Shall we take a walk?" Joyce said quietly.

"No. I want to be here, I need to be here." She replied stoically. "I can't leave her again."

"Okay sweetie."

Resting her head on her Mom's shoulder she didn't realise she'd fallen asleep, exhausted from all the crying she'd been doing. The nightmares were coming on, taunting her inability to save her girlfriend and best friend. A black shadow would take them away in the night and Chloe could do nothing to save them, she couldn't fight back or yell out.

Alarms started ringing out, waking Chloe from the nightmare. Medical staff were running into the room, pushing the family aside as they began checking the girl on the bed, issuing instructions, calling out for items.

"What's going on?" Chloe asked, but none of them answered. "Hey! What the fuck is going on?!" She yelled, trying to get their attention.

"She's having some kind of seizure." One of the nurses said, applying pressure to Chloe's arm. "We need you to remain calm or we'll have to ask you to leave."

"Like hell I am." Chloe said, looking round the nurse at the cluster of bodies.

"Get the ventilator out!" One of the Doctors ordered suddenly. A flurry of movement followed, one of the nurses was issuing instructions in a calm manner. There was a hacking cough, a gasp of breath and a small weak voice called out.

"Chloe!"

She pushed past the staff, forcing them aside as she reached out for the girl's hand on the bed. They grasped hands tightly, a connection Chloe had missed more than she could explain. Like a part of herself was back and no longer missing. The doctors were continuing their protocols, doing tests, checking information. But Chloe's eyes only had time for the girl infront of her, absorbing her features like it could be the last time.

"Let's give the girls some space." One of the doctors said, smiling at the two of them as the medical staff left the room. "We'll be back in a moment."

"David, go and call the Caulfields and Mr Amber." Joyce ordered, pushing him out of the room ahead of her.

Chloe's grip on the girl never lessened, she could only get closer, leaning over the bed so their foreheads could touch. Their eyes locked on one another's. Tears streamed down Chloe's cheeks, dripping on the other girl's cheeks where they joined her tears.

"I thought I'd lost you." Chloe whispered.

"Not yet." Max replied weakly. "I thought I'd lost you."

"Have you... snapped back?"

"Yeah." Max said, nodding carefully. "But it was painful... like... swimming through thorns."

"You were in a coma, for over a week." Chloe said.

"How's Rachel?" Max asked.

"She..." Chloe tried to look away but Max's hands held her face, holding her in place so they wouldn't lose eye contact. "She's dead."

"How... Chloe, tell me everything."

"I will, but first..." Chloe kissed Max's dry but beautiful lips. "I needed that."

Max smiled and kissed her again. "You have no idea how much." She whispered softly.

"So..."

"Rachel." Max said.

Chloe took a deep breath, she'd been going over the events so much they were etched into her mind, but now she had to tell Max about it all she felt it difficult to keep it all together. "We tried to set a trap for Jeffershit. We sent you and Rachel to a hotel and I stayed to call the cops on his ass." She started.

"Why? Why would we do that? You should have been with us." Max said.

"Because we wanted him caught in the act." Chloe said. "But we knew we couldn't rely on your powers, so Rachel went with you to keep you safe because of a snap back."

"Fuck." Max whispered. "But then... what happened?"

"We... were hoping you could tell us how he got to you and Rachel."

"I don't know... oh fuck... fuck." Max said. "I need to use a selfie, I need to fix this."

"No..." Chloe said, holding her tightly. "I don't want to risk losing you again, and I have so much more to tell you yet. There's so much more to this and right now we're in no danger."

"But the longer I wait the more time I will miss." Max pleaded.

"If we keep rushing it, we will make mistakes." Chloe explained. "It took you two weeks to save Rachel the first time, let's be smart." She smiled, trying to comfort the brunette.

"Just as long as we're not going to leave her to this fate." Max muttered, slowly releasing Chloe.

"No way. But we're going to do it right. Jeffershit has to pay." Chloe leaned down and kissed her girl again, making the most of her time with the girl she'd almost lost. Max enthusiastically kissed back, both of them ignoring the sounds of the families entering the room.

"You can put her down now Chloe." Joyce said from behind her. Chloe reluctantly parted from her girlfriend, who was quickly swallowed up in the arms of her parents, followed by Joyce and even David. They weren't in any immediate danger, but Chloe didn't want to risk being overheard when she told Max all about Nathan.

* * *

It was a few days before Max could finally persaude her parents to allow her to discharge herself. She'd had enough of the hospital food, despite how nice it was considering her private room, but she wanted to get home to Chloe, to a place where they could discuss and plan their next move. Rachel's last request ran round her mind, to allow her to die, but she couldn't allow that, she wouldn't. After everything they had been through accepting Rachel's so called fate was not an option.

They returned to their home late in the evening, the torrential downpour soaking their clothes through before they could get in the house. Chloe was quick to get them towels to dry off, refusing to let Max do anything that could overexert her. Orders from the families and doctors that she seemed all too willing to comply with. Max removed her jacket and peeled off her drenched jeans, remembering the last time she'd done this, when Rachel had gone missing. So much had happened in such a short period of time, and now she was being told to wait, so they could get it right.

"Want a drink?" Chloe offered as Max sat on their couch, pulling one of the blankets off the back, the one they all used to snuggle up under when watching tv together.

"Not right now, thank you." She smiled, the blanket smelled of all of them.

"Okay." Chloe said, removing her own jacket and jeans before sitting beside her with the towels. Max quickly snuggled into the warmth of her girlfriend, the girl she'd lost over a week ago.

"I missed you." Max whispered, nuzzling Chloe's arm for the first time in too long.

"I missed you, so fucking much." Chloe said, wrapping her arms around her smaller form. "I thought I'd lost you."

"I had lost you Chloe." Max almost started crying. "Rachel and I... we... I..."

"Slow down, take it easy."

Max took a deep breath, trying to straighten out the confusing timelines in her head. "When we lost you, I lost my powers for a while. It's why it took me so long to... to try to fix it."

"You lost your powers?" Chloe looked shocked.

Max nodded. "I couldn't access them, they were behind a block and... I have to admit to something." She started rubbing her hands together nervously, she was going to break her girlfriend's heart, but she had to know the truth.

"Go on." Chloe said, trying to comfort her with a small squeeze.

"Rachel and I... we tried forcing my powers to activate, like rewinds and freezes but it never worked. And in the end, what worked... we were talking about you. She told me how much she loved you, what you'd done for each other and... I realised something."

"What?" Chloe asked, looking worried.

"You told me in San Francisco how she... completed parts of you... and when we were talking I realised you complete parts of her too. You're like two sides of the same coin."

"Okay?" She looked confused.

"We kissed, briefly..." Max felt terrible, admitting this again. "It jump started my powers again... and she could see the frozen world, like you can."

"Did you two..." Chloe started to say.

"No! No... our friendship is just that, friends. We love each other like friends, there's no sexual attraction between us." Max said quickly. A look of relief seemed to spread through Chloe's features. "Can you forgive me?"

"Max... I was dead, you were grasping for a solution... I'll never hold it against you." Chloe replied.

"But the parts of her that she shares with you, they woke up my powers, they let me use the selfie. But I promised to save her, and I don't want to sit around waiting to do that. We need a plan."

"There's some stuff I need to tell you too." Chloe said. "I went to visit Nathan Prescott while you were in the coma."

"Why?" Max asked. "He's been locked up since my anonymous tip right?"

"Well it turned out Jeffershit had visited him in his mental hospital when he got let off. But Max... Nathan knows things he shouldn't."

"Like what?"

"There was a hand drawn picture of two people by the lighthouse the day of the tornado."

"Us." Max said, her hand going to her mouth. "What else?"

"Max in the Dark Room, Rachel in the Dark Room. But it's what he said as well. It was like he knew all of the different timelines you make."

"How is that even possible?"

"I have no idea, but he said something about the bathroom and three. The... uhm.. The Gifted, the giftee and the witness." Chloe continued. "You're obviously the gifted, and I've received some of your gift."

"That makes you the giftee." Max nodded. "So he's... the witness?"

"I've no fucking idea, but he certainly knows shit he shouldn't."

"That is so messed up." Max said, losing herself slightly in the warmth of Chloe's embrace.

"He said something about how... we'll never reach the limits of your power, or some shit." Chloe said, a look of concentration on her sweet features.

"Limits of my powers?"

"Yeah... like we don't quite understand their full potential. To be honest the guy had lost his fucking marbles, I was lucky just to get what I did out of him."

"Did he say anything else?" Max said, wondering just how much had been mad rambling and if any of it held any truth. Nathan had always seemed strange when she saw him at Blackwell.

"That we're always playing defense."

"Well that's true." Max said. "We tried to save Rachel by staying here and it got you killed."

"And then we tried to save all of us by catching him in the act, and... we lost Rachel and almost you." Chloe struggled to say, Max could tell she was still hurting. She was too, but they still had no plan.

"We need to pick a selfie to use, decide what to try to change. How far back I need to go." Max said, trying to formulate an idea.

"Max... for tonight... could we just..." Max looked at the girl she cared about and understood immediately. She'd been through hell and needed time.

"We don't need to do anything." She smiled, nuzzling Chloe's neck gently. "I will never pass up time with you." She whispered.

* * *

"Oh Max! It's so good to have you back." Jefferson said, turning away from the black chair, somebody else was already in it. "I'd missed our little bonding sessions."

Max looked around the Dark Room, she was sitting on the couch, her hands free for the first time. She tried to stand, but it was like an invisible hand was holding her in place.

"No please, don't get up. I was just telling Rachel here how much I'd missed her." He said, stepping aside so Max could see the girl in the chair. Rachel was there, her eyes red from crying, her hands tied to the arms of the chair. She was completely out of it. "She was such an incredible model, but... well we've had this conversation before haven't we?" He smirked.

"Leave her alone." Max ordered, her fists clenched.

"Would you prefer to take her place? I'm sure she'd like a break."

"Why are you doing this to us?"

"Capturing the moment where innocence fades away." He smirked. "Rachel and I... well she was never innocent. It was hard to capture that moment with somebody who didn't understand it." He walked over to Max, placing his camera on the table before her. "Would you like to help me? She would always pose so perfectly for you."

"No." She said defiantly.

"Such a shame." He said, patting her shoulders. "You really had an eye for her. You did a few bedroom shoots with her right?" He said, walking past Max to the desk behind her.

"Why does that matter?"

"Because you could capture such elegance in her poses, even when she was in bed." He said, returning with a folder which he opened on the coffee table. They were pictures of her shoots with Rachel. "You see the eyes? The fire you could capture that others missed? But that was why they always paired the two of you together right? You had the eye to get the best out of her."

"We were comfortable together, it made it easier." She responded, looking at the Rachel tied to the chair.

"Exactly! She was so comfortable with you, so trusting. And that brings us to my point." He walked back over to Rachel and stood behind her, his hands on her bare shoulders. "She trusted you Max. And you got her killed. Chloe trusted you. And you got her killed."

"That was because of you!" Max shouted.

"Me? I'm just a photography teacher." He looked legitimately shocked. "Why would I break into your home? How did I know where you lived? So many questions you haven't asked yourself Maxine. You disappoint me. You see, but you're blind. I always thought more of you than that."

"Max! Save me!" Rachel shouted suddenly.

"Be quiet." Jefferson said, slapping Rachel across the face.

"Leave her alone!" Max repeated, managing to stand up.

"I look forward to seeing what you have planned Maxine. Let me know how it goes, won't you?" Jefferson smiled smugly.

Max woke with a jolt, her heart racing in her chest. She'd managed to break free in her nightmare for the first time, something inside her had changed. She felt Chloe's arm tighten around her waist and relaxed into the feeling of her warm body against her back.

"You okay?" Chloe whispered.

"Yeah." Max said, rolling over to face her girlfriend despite the lack of light to actually see her. She could feel her breath against her face. "I... want to try something." She said, wrapping her arms around Chloe lovingly.

"Can it wait til morning?" Chloe asked, nuzzling Max's nose sleepily.

Max kissed her sweetly, returning the nuzzle. "Of course it can." She whispered.

* * *

Max woke up the next morning still wrapped in Chloe's loving arms. The blue haired punk would wake if she even started to move away and Max could understand why completely. She knew how it felt to sleep in an empty bed, knowing when you woke up the other person still wouldn't be there. The memories of that week kept tormenting her mind, the complete absence of Chloe in life were a dead weight around her neck. Her hand went to the bullet necklace at her neck, but it wasn't there. She sat up quickly, waking Chloe, and quickly began looking for the necklace.

"Fuck, no.. where is it?" She said.

"What are you looking for?" Chloe grumbled.

"I've lost your necklace... I don't know where it is."

"Calm down." Chloe said, waking up a bit more. "I have it..." She pulled the chains around her neck so the two necklaces appeared over the neckline of her vest top.

"You..." Max sat back down on the bed as Chloe removed the bullets from around her neck.

"They were still on you when they found you, they gave them to me after checking them for any evidence." She explained, sitting up and leaning close to Max to put the necklace around her neck once more, their lips brushing softly against one another's.

Max didn't allow the girl to move away, both hands on Chloe's sides to keep her close. She felt one of Chloe's hands in the back of her hair, gently pulling the brunette locks eliciting a slight moan into the punk's mouth. She pressed against the taller girl pushing her back onto the bed, swinging a leg over her prone form to straddle her, keeping her pinned with the weight of their kiss. Chloe didn't resist, her other hand was already pulling Max's shirt up to run her finger tips over Max's side.

Their kiss broke reluctantly as Max pulled away, Chloe's eyes filled with a pleading need for Max.

"Something wrong?" She asked. Max shook her head, placed her hands on the sides of her own shirt and pulled it up over her head in one motion. "Oh..." Chloe said, her eyes looking over Max's body. Max didn't stop there, she was already pulling Chloe's vest top up her body, kissing the soft skin that the clothes had concealed. Chloe lifted her arms as the top was pulled up and over her head, though as soon as the fabric had cleared her lips Max pressed her own against them.

Chloe could feel the energy of the moment between them but she wanted more, she wanted to kiss every part of Max's body she could possibly touch. Ater a week without the girl's touch it was like an urge to get as much of her as she could get. She took over, rolling the beautiful brunette onto her back, her hips between Max's as they kissed their pain and sorrow away, replacing it with the love and passion they felt for each other. Max's hands found the sides of her face, holding her tight to their kiss but slowly prising themselves apart. Max's eyes locked on Chloe's, an intense energy behind them, but Chloe could see the love and adoration in her eyes and she hoped beyond all hope that Max could see the same in hers.

"Chloe..." She whispered.

"Forever... Max." She answered softly, her lips finding the brunette's neck.

Max felt that power. That beautiful, wonderful, intense power that she and Chloe possessed, how it mingled and played along with her powers to rewind, to freeze time and to return to those photo memories, how it allowed them to travel backwards together along the strings of time into the past. It was as though she could see beyond the curtain, the trick behind the magic. She understood what to do, she knew where they needed to be. She wrapped her arms around her soulmate and tapped into this power, her destination in mind.

They both felt the sudden pull on their bodies, the immense draw of energy it was taking to make this trip. Chloe held Max as tight as she could, her head buried between Max's neck and shoulder. Max watched the world around them, the speed of it flying by so fast. She could feel Chloe's skin under her fingertips and refused to release her, she needed her, she was her life.


	13. The Truth will Set you Free

Max remained looking at the closed eyes of her gorgeous girlfriend, waiting for her to open them so she could see those stunning blue eyes again. Chloe opened one first, then the other and looked around them at their surroundings. They were still in their bed, but they were now lying on their sides. They were also wearing a bit less than they had on just moments ago. The rain against the windows was gone, the howling wind absent. Max let out a soft giggle and nuzzled her girlfriend's nose.

"Max... what did you just do?" Chloe asked, keeping the brunette in her arms, refusing to let go.

"I... think... we just did a hard reset." Max said, still grinning.

"Think? How? Where?" Chloe said quickly, making Max giggle again.

"The morning of your birthday. I think."

"So... that means Rachel..."

"Should still be asleep in bed." Max finished, kissing Chloe's lips softly, who automatically returned the affection.

"How do we find out?" Chloe asked quietly.

"Check your phone dummy." Chloe broke their embrace to roll over, reaching for her phone on the bedside table.

She let out a low whistle. "March 11th." She said, rolling back into Max's arms.

"So it worked..." Max said, her heart racing uncontrollably.

"Will we snap back to the present in a moment?" Chloe asked.

"No... no. This is the present now. It was like a rewind only... much further. Much, much further." Max said, feeling extremely tired all of a sudden.

"How did you do it?"

"Well..." Max took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "It was you. And me... and..." The room was starting to spin. "Oh..." She closed her eyes tightly, trying to balance herself out.

"Max?" Chloe said, her voice full of concern.

"It's taken a lot out of me." She admitted, she felt Chloe embrace her slightly tighter.

"I won't let you go, rest if you need to. We have a couple of hours before Rachel leaves."

Max smiled, worrying slightly less due to the confidence in Chloe's voice. "Stop her if you need to... we have three days before he tries a home invasion. And I'll be ready for him this time." She whispered.

"We're not playing defense." Chloe whispered. "I'm not losing you again."

Chloe watched her beautiful girl sleep soundly beside her, so glad to have her back, especially after what she just achieved. Rachel had always been right about leaving things to chance, too much could go wrong even with the best of intentions. But Max had done it, she'd tapped into something better with Chloe and had achieved what she set out to do. She'd thought big and got it right.

"Fuck you Nathan." Chloe whispered, more to herself. "My girl thought big and broke the fucking universe." She grinned.

She knew Max would want to try to catch Jefferson in the act again, to let justice take its course, but Chloe already knew what his end game would be if he couldn't get away. If he escaped, his memory would chase them wherever they went, if he was arrested again he could be let off and even if they managed to get him arrested and convicted he could still be released. He'd killed Rachel twice, he'd tried to kill Max, and he'd killed her too. The three of them weren't killers though.

There was a knock on the bedroom door, which hadn't happened last time. Rachel had left them alone when she'd woken up.

"What's up?" Chloe asked as loudly as she dared, trying not to wake Max.

"Birthday wishes!" Rachel called through the door. Chloe didn't want to turn her away, not after having spent a week without her.

"Get in here." She said, making sure Max's slim form was covered.

Rachel entered tentatively, possibly worried about what state they were in. Chloe was so happy to see the blonde girl with her purple highlights she wanted to jump out of the bed and hug her, except she still wasn't wearing anything under the covers.

"She still asleep?" Rachel asked, closing the door carefully behind her and sneaking across the room.

"That... is actually a really long story." Chloe whispered, patting the bed beside her. "Come here, there's some shit you need to know."

"Oh... I'm not going to like this, am I?" Rachel said, sitting at the foot of the bed carefully.

"No." Chloe answered. She took a deep breath, wondering just where she was going to start. "Could you pass my underwear?" She said suddenly. "Feeling a bit... exposed."

Rachel laughed, but happily obliged, passing some underwear to her out of one of the dresser drawers. "Whenever you're ready Price."

"Max has just been through three timelines." Chloe said, pulling on her underwear under the covers.

"Oh no." Rachel said, looking to the sleeping brunette.

"This is going to be really hard to hear." Chloe sat up in bed and took both of Rachel's hands, worried how the blonde was going to take it.

"Out with it Chloe, it's only a possible outcome at this point."

"In the first timeline, you go missing and die. She used a selfie to warn us. We were planning to stay here safely. Then from that timeline, I died. Mark Jefferson broke in, drugged you, and because Max had just snapped back she couldn't rewind to save me."

"Jefferson?" Rachel said incredulously. "No way, that's got to be wrong."

"Max managed to use another selfie to warn us again, the day after the first warning, and told us about my death. That time we decided to send you and Max to a hotel for the night and I'd call the cops to catch Jefferson in the act." Chloe said, ignoring Rachel's disbelief.

"Why didn't Max stay with you? With her rewind powers?"

"Because of the original warnings snap back. We didn't know if it would still happen and we didn't want to risk it." Chloe said, running her hands through her blue hair.

"What happened in that one?"

"Jefferson got to you both. What the police guessed was he drugged you both, took you somewhere to take... horrible pictures... and you died again from a drug overdose." Rachel was covering her mouth. "And it left Max in a coma for a week."

"So you've just received another warning?" Rachel asked. "What do you two do, sleep with a camera for late night selfies?"

Chloe laughed. "Uhm... no actually we just..."

"We just did a hard reset." Max mumbled, rolling over and putting her head on Chloe's leg, the covers pulled tight across her chest but exposing her bare back.

"You... just did a hard reset? The one thing you haven't been able to do on command?" Rachel asked, her eyes wide with shock.

"Rachel. I'd lost you, then I lost Chloe... and then Chloe almost lost both of us. I am fucking exhausted, and I just ignored something you told me to be here." Max said, her eyes half closed.

"And... you're sure it's Mark... Jefferson?" Said Rachel. Chloe looked at Rachel curiously, she hadn't paused then, she was adding his last name.

"You told me yourself." Max said quietly, not noticing the look on either of their faces. "We had a nice long chat about it." Max said, looking up briefly into Rachel's eyes. "I'm tired. Can we..." She yawned. "Can we talk about it when I've had a nap?"

"Of course." Rachel said, releasing one of Chloe's hands to gently stroke Max's cheek. "Looks like I'm calling in sick."

"Thank you Rach." Chloe said, kissing the other hand.

"Who am I to ignore my two best friends?" Rachel said with a weak smile.

"Wake me in a few hours." Max said, nuzzling Chloe's leg sleepily.

* * *

Max descended the stairs feeling a little better than after her sudden new test. It had been a strange sensation, feeling so loved and full of passion and energy to suddenly feeling your eyelids closing of their own accord. She was just glad it hadn't taken a day to get over it like the blindness had. Chloe was beside her when she had woken up, like her guardian angel refusing to leave her side. Now her stunning blue punk was already in the kitchen, making as much noise as she was capable of as she prepared food for the both of them. Rachel was sat on the couch in the living room, her feet up and relaxed with a book in her hands.

"Good read?" Max asked, lifting Rachel's legs to sit with her and putting them over her own, Rachel's shorts allowed Max a good glimpse of her striking dragon tattoo, something she normally kept hidden under her jeans. Max subtly tested her ability to rewind with Rachel, but just as they had tried in the truck, it felt like she was anchored to the timeline. Whatever connection they had made in the second timeline was gone, erased by the reset.

"Some sci fi thing one of the other models gave me, said it would be difficult to put down." She answered, closing the book and dropping it on the coffee table. "It's really easy to put down." Rachel smiled.

"So, while Chloe makes me something to eat, I need to talk to you about something." Max said quietly.

"What's up?

"I know about you and Jefferson, before he got arrested." Max said, the look of shock on Rachel was indescribable "And I obviously know about you and Frank."

"How? I've never..." She started to say.

"Because in our timeline, the one where I lost Chloe, you took me out to a diner and admitted it. Because he was the one who killed Chloe."

"Oh fuck.. oh fuck, fuck, fuck." Rachel was panicking. "Please, don't tell..."

"Rachel, we are your best friends. I have fought to keep you alive for two weeks. Don't you think you owe Chloe the truth?"

"She'll hate me for it Max, she'll be judging and..."

"And she'll still love you for who you are." Max smiled softly. "I still do."

"What are you two whispering about?" Said Chloe as she entered the living room with a couple of plates loaded with sandwiches.

"Did the kitchen defeat you?" Max asked, smiling.

"Yeah, fuck cooking. Something simple." Chloe grinned, putting the plates on the coffee table.

"Chloe... there's something I need to tell you." Rachel said, glancing at Max for support. Max was glad it hadn't taken much work to persuade her to come clean, the sooner they got past this the sooner they could deal with Jefferson.

"Shoot." Chloe said, taking a bite of one of her sandwiches.

"A while ago I was seeing Frank Bowers." Rachel said quietly. Chloe almost choked on her sandwich.

"What? You were banging our dealer?" Realisation seemed to dawn on Chloe's face, and Max braced for it. "You were banging our dealer... when Max wasn't even back. While you and I...?"

"I broke it off! He was messed up when he got high, I had to get out of it but I had no idea how to tell you."

"But..." Chloe covered her mouth with her hands and started pacing the room, no doubt reliving all those moments in the past, all the pieces falling into place.

"That's not the worst of it." Max muttered, looking at Rachel. "Tell her."

"Tell me what?" Chloe said, stopping in the middle of the room, her eyes on Rachel.

"I... hooked up with Mark Jefferson a few days before Max called and got him arrested." Rachel said, her eyes locked on the plate of food, refusing to look to either of them.

"Oh... fuck." Chloe said quietly. "You... fucked that psycho? You... slept with the guy who kills you?"

"She didn't know about that." Max said, defending Rachel. "She had no reason to know what he's capable of."

"When Max got him arrested, and I found out it was her, I wanted to hate her. But when I found out what she did to save my life... I owe her my life Chloe!" Rachel pleaded. "I never knew how to tell you these things. But I really wanted to, I wanted to share everything with you."

"So why didn't you?" Chloe asked. "You could tell me anything!"

"I told you I'd met somebody that could change my life..." Rachel replied.

"Yeah, but fucking Jeffershit?!"

"See, this is why I couldn't tell you! You'd have been all judgemental and trying to stop me!"

"When the fuck have I ever let you down?" Chloe said, her eyebrows were furrowed in anger. "I did everything I could for you, I put myself in danger for you! I never wanted to fucking lose you! I..." Max quickly got off the couch and embraced her girlfriend, well aware of how she was feeling right then. "I fucking died for you Rach, I lost you and I almost lost Max because we tried to save you." Chloe said over Max's shoulder.

"I know Chloe!" Rachel shouted. "And you have no idea how that makes me feel, to see you both so upset and broken when yesterday everything was awesome. I'm being told that my two best friends, the people I care most about in this world, died or were in a coma because of me. Because I chose to meet with Mark again."

"Wait, what?" Chloe said, surprised.

Max turned around, her eyes on Rachel. "You've spoken to him?" Max said.

"We've... been texting. He still had my number." Rachel said, her arms around herself, once more looking away from the two of them.

"After everything I told you?" Max said quietly, backing into Chloe who held her tight. "You've been talking to that psychotic monster?"

"He was all I had outside of... this, whatever this shit is." Rachel rubbed her arms aggressively. "He told me how the accusations were false, how he wanted to see me again."

"That's how you went missing. That's how he knew where we lived. Did you plan to meet him today?!" Max said.

"Yes I did! I needed something outside of this, and I've never told him where we live!"

"But you would have. The first time, we didn't know who it was, but after you told him where we lived and he killed Chloe, you certainly knew it then." Max reasoned. It was Rachel's fault, she kept getting them into shit.

"You know what he did to you in the timeline I last saw?" Chloe said. "He drugged you, and took erotic pictures of you both... and before he died, he posted them up on the fucking internet. And Max's parents saw them, and your parents saw them. That is the sick fuck we're fucking dealing with!" Chloe shouted.

"Oh my God." Rachel said, her hands on her mouth. "Max... I am so sorry, I am so so sorry." She pleaded, getting up off the couch and trying to move towards her. "I had no idea."

"I kept telling you." Max said, trying to back away further but only pressed against Chloe more.

"You two..." Rachel started to say.

"Would be waiting for your call about now, a call we'd never get. And in two days time, we'd be in the Medical Examiner's office identfying your body. And then I'd photo jump, and I'd watch Chloe bleed out right in front of my eyes." Max decided to give her the full details, everything she could remember. "I'd spend a week in my room crying my fucking heart out, because I'd lost the love of my life and I couldn't use my powers." Chloe's arms wrapped around her, her hands somehow finding Max's. "And then you and I... we finally found a way. You helped me find my way back to Chloe. Then I... remember waking up in a hospital with a tube down my throat. I found a way back to her, but you were gone... and..." She went quiet, her anger and love for this foolish girl mixing itself together. "I worked out just how to get to you, with Chloe by my side."

The normal look of fire and defiance in Rachel's eyes was gone, extinguished by the horrible truth that she had been the one to put them through so much pain. Chloe's chin was on Max's shoulder, her fight had seemed to leave her when she'd heard again just how much Max had been through.

"We love you Rach, we have bent time to our will because we love you." Max said, gripping Chloe's hands tightly. "You are our best friend and we don't ever want you to be unhappy."

Rachel rushed forward into their arms and Max didn't resist her, both she and Chloe held the girl close with Max crushed in the middle.

"I am so sorry." Rachel muttered, her head against Max's. "I don't want to lose you. Either of you."

"Rach... you're part of our family." Max whispered.

"You saved my life all those years ago, and I've not been parted from you since." Chloe admitted, kissing Rachel's forehead. "You're a massive part of who I am."

"You're a massive part of who I am too." She responded quietly. "Both of you."

Max felt the pull, her power glowing alongside her heart. She tried not to laugh, to ruin the moment. She closed her eyes and tapped into that inexplainable ability to freeze time and allowed the power to activate. Chloe let out a sharp gasp as the power took its energy from her. Max felt suddenly weaker, almost back to the point of exhaustion.

"Are you okay?" Rachel asked, but as Max opened her eyes she watched as a look of awe spread across Rachel's features. "Oh... my... god." She said, pulling away from the two of them. Max grasped her hand to stop her slipping out of the freeze.

"We can share this with you, when there's two of us." Max said, using Chloe to remain upright.

"We're doing this?" Chloe asked.

"Yes."

"But it doesn't look right..." Chloe said. Max took a moment to look at the timescape around them. Chloe was right, it wasn't the same dull grey they usually saw when using a freeze time. All of the blues and reds in the room were more vibrant and vivid.

"That's not normal?" Rachel asked, looking around their frozen living room with awe on her face.

Max couldn't hold the power any longer, it was more exhausting than when it was just her and Chloe. The passage of time returned to normal, much to the disappointment of Rachel, but when she saw how pale Max had turned she didn't complain. Chloe had to help the brunette over to the couch.

"Sorry." Max said softly.

"Don't be." Rachel said, holding Max's hand the whole time. "I can't make it up to either of you for what you've been through, but you keep..." She wiped tears out of her eyes, that defeated look still so evident in them. "You keep giving me the chance to live, to enjoy life. And now you've let me... experience your gift."

"I don't want you to experience what I did in the Dark Room Rachel, and I am fighting so hard to stop you having that fate." Max could feel her nose start to bleed, the hard reset followed so closely by a freeze time with Rachel had taken its toll on her. Chloe was quick to hand her a tissue, a soft smile on her face.

"I promise you both, right now..." Rachel said, taking Chloe's hand too. "I will do everything it takes to keep us all safe from that monster."

Chloe sat down on the couch with Max, who snuggled into her comfortably, just listening as Rachel and Chloe discussed plans on how to catch Jefferson, using all they knew about Max's rewinds and freeze times to try to come up with a viable plan. Her lack of energy was making the conversation hard to follow, she would feel her eyelids close and the warm embrace of sleep start to take her, only to snap out of it and shift her position trying to remain slightly uncomfortable. Despite the sudden shock of finding out Rachel had been sleeping with two guys and lied to about it, Chloe seemed to be in high spirits discussing how to deal with their problem. Though it probably helped Chloe thinking of all the ways she could smash Jefferson's face in for being with Rachel. Max let out a small laugh at the thought, getting Chloe's attention.

"What's funny?" She asked curiously, Rachel was listening too.

"I... was just thinking, this is probably helping you feel better, thinking of all the ways you could hurt Jefferson." Max answered honestly.

"Oh hell yes." Chloe smirked. "But were you... not paying attention to our plan?"

"I'm sorry Chloe, I'm just so tired I'm finding it hard to concentrate."

"It's fine, Chloe and I can think of a plan and... you can review it when you feel up to it. I'm not about to go telling Jeffershit where we live so... there's no timer on this right?" Max smiled at Rachel's use of Chloe's term Jeffershit. They were a team again.

"Not unless he's been stalking you..." Chloe said. "Fuck... something we didn't think of."

"Back to the drawing board, the clock is still ticking." Rachel said with a sigh.

"If we need to..." Max yawned. "We'll use a normal rewind and buy us some time..."

"You're too tired." Chloe said, rubbing her girlfriends arm.

"Which is why..." Max rolled onto her side, putting her head in Chloe's lap. "I'm going to snuggle into the girl I love more than the world itself and sleep, while my time traveling sidekicks do all the thinking."

"SuperMax... is a slave driver." Rachel whispered to Chloe, getting a small laugh out of her best friend.

"But she's hella awesome." Chloe tried to whisper back.

"I know I am." Max said sleepily.

* * *

For the first time since the Dark Room Max didn't have a nightmare after pushing her powers so far. As she'd drifted off to sleep she had expected the usual long drawn out conversation with the nightmare Jefferson, who would drop dark hints while some part of Max's subconscious would bang against her sanity trying to unhinge her. But it never came, there was no mental assault from her own insecurities. She slept soundly with her head on Chloe's lap, only slightly aware of the girl moving or shifting to remain comfortable as Max used her as a pillow.

She woke up in bed, a sliver of morning light breaking through window, with a body either side of her. Rachel's soft features were vivid in front of her face, the whisps of purple highlights in her blonde hair, the dried tears on her cheeks and a small scratch mark on the side of her face. Max gently placed a hand on the girl's cheek, gently carressing it as the memories of losing her played on her mind. She would not allow that fate to befall her, even if she had been stupid enough to talk to Jefferson again.

"We won't lose you again Rachel, I won't fucking allow it." Max whispered.

Rachel's beautiful hazel eyes opened softly at the words, looking straight at Max. She smiled weakly and cuddled into Max, just a girl who needed to be held.

"Should we just run away?" Rachel muttered weakly. "Just... get away from this shit?"

"We've made a life here, do you really want to give it up?" Max asked, resting her cheek on the blonde's head.

"No... I love our jobs. But... how do we fix this? We're not fighters, we don't kill people, and getting him arrested didn't work last time."

"And a photo jump could break more than it fixes." Max mused, thinking back to Chloe's death right before her eyes.

"I don't want to die... and I don't want either of you to die for me." Rachel said. "Max, did I really ask you to let me go?"

"Yes, and I won't do that to you or Chloe. So please don't ask me to do it again."

"I won't." She said quietly. "But we're going to need to find him first and I think I know how we can do that."

"How?" Max asked.

"I'll be our bait. I'll get him to meet me and... you and Chloe can follow us."

"I can't put you at risk." Max was shocked the blonde would even suggest putting herself in danger.

"I won't be at risk... I have a time traveler." Rachel smiled softly.

"She has a good idea there." Chloe said, her arm slipping around Max's waist as she propped herself up on her elbow behind the brunette. "If we know where Jeffershit's hiding out it'll help."

"So we use photo jumps? Or a hard reset? Or a rewind?" Max asked, mulling over the idea and how it could work.

"Can you... hard reset on command?" Rachel asked warily. "With a passenger?"

"We've not tried, yet." Max said honestly.

"Let's try it tonight, the three of us, back to this moment." Chloe offered. "Then we'll all remember, and if it doesn't work... we'll definitely know."

"This is going to take a lot of planning." Max said.

"We have time." Rachel laughed.

They got out of bed and changed, having all slept in their clothes from the day before. Max made a quick call to Vienne, one of the other photographers asking them to cover for her and find another model for Rachel. She explained that Rachel was ill which is why she hadn't shown up the day before and apologised profusely for not informing anybody as they were really concerned about her. They weren't in any trouble, they'd helped somebody else out in the past when they were supposed to have a day off.

Chloe was already waiting downstairs with breakfast on the table when Max entered the kichen, cereal and orange juice, Chloe's easy chef mode. Max couldn't help but smile and kiss her girlfriend on the head for the effort. Rachel came into the kitchen not long after, putting her phone on the table between the three of them.

"Jeffershit's text me, asking where I was yesterday." She said, taking a sip from her own orange juice.

"Have you replied?" Chloe said, her hand balled into a fist.

"Fuck no."

"We need to keep him sweet if we're going to pull this off." Said Max between mouthfuls. "If he gets suspicious he'll disappear."

"So what do I say?"

"Tell him you couldn't get away from us." Chloe grinned. "It is the truth."

Rachel took the phone and typed in a quick response, showing the others what she'd put once it was finished.

"Send it." Max said with a nod. Rachel hit the send button and dropped the phone on the table.

"Makes me feel dirty just talking to that creepy fucker."

"How does it feel knowing you also fucked him?" Chloe said viciously. She still wasn't over that, which visibly upset Rachel.

"I couldn't shower enough to get rid of that memory." Rachel said sadly.

"Chloe..." Max said softly, taking hold of her girlfriend's balled fist.

"I'm fine Max." Chloe replied, releasing her fist to hold Max's hand instead.

"I'm really sorry for not telling you Chloe." Rachel said, looking at the table sadly. "I... didn't want you to hate me." This was going to remain a constant source of pain, and Max had no idea if they could ever fix it. Chloe could hold a grudge when she wanted to, and Rachel would feel worse everytime it got brought up. Their relationship may never return to normal. Max couldn't see her friends so distant, even if they had just slept in the same bed.

"Yeah? Well you know how I feel about people fucking lying to me." Chloe said.

"I thought we'd settled this." Rachel looked at Chloe, her eyes filled with tears. "I can't change it Chloe, I wish I fucking could! If I'd known Max would be along to take us away from the Bay I... I only went with Frank because I thought he was a means to getting out of there!"

"So you banged Frank just to get away from Arcadia? What about me? Where did I fit into that plan?"

"I... Chloe you know how much I wanted to leave! You knew for three years and we never fucking left! I was always telling you how much I wanted to leave, from our second day we promised to leave together."

"Yes Rachel, together. Not you and Frank, not you and Jeffershit. You and me."

"But if you hadn't stayed, I'd never have got to see either of you." Max offered, trying to calm down the situation. "Staying in the Bay meant I could see you again." She kissed Chloe's hand. "And it gave me the power to save Rachel."

"I know Max... but she still could have told me."

"And if you both keep fighting each other then Jeffershit wins and we'll lose this friendship we've got." Max looked between the two of them, both looked ready to dig in for the long fight. "Chloe, back in the other timeline you knew about Frank, you knew what Rachel had done and you still wanted me to save her, you still wanted her back."

Chloe remained silent, but Max could tell she was getting through to her, the hardened look in her eyes was fading slowly. Rachel could see this too, she looked back down towards her food which she hadn't touched.

"I never thought of that." Chloe said quietly.

"I'm sorry Chloe, I never wanted to hurt you with this." Rachel said, reaching across the table for Chloe's hand. Max nudged Chloe in the side and kissed her shoulder, encouraging her to take Rachel's hand.

"You fucking lie to me again, and I'm gonna beat your ass and get Max to rewind it so I can do it again until I feel better." Chloe said, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze.

"Deal." Rachel smiled. "I'll... do better."

"No." Max said, reaching out to Rachel with her other hand. "Be you sweetie, that's who we love."

Rachel took the proffered hand and smirked. "That I can definitely do."

"So... if we've got the mushy stuff out of the way, how are we going to beat the shit out of Jeffer...shit?" Chloe said, grinning from ear to ear.

Rachel laughed and nodded, releasing Max's hand to drink more of her juice. "Yeah... we only have the bait part."

"Which I'm still not too sure about." Max said. "If we lose you, or can't get to you in time..."

"You'll rewind and find me, or warn us off." Rachel said. "I trust you Max, I know you won't abandon me to that fate."

"But what do we do when we find her? Rush Jefferson, free her? Call the cops?" Chloe said, releasing Rachel's hand so could eat her soggy cereal.

"Cops won't do shit, look what happened in Arcadia." Max shook her head.

"Why did they let him go?" Rachel asked. "I mean... you made the anonymous tip Max, it should have worked right?"

"In the second timeline, you told me how they didn't have enough evidence. The cameras in the bunker weren't working or some shit, and the girl changed her statement, said it was a photography project. So your Dad had to let him go."

"So he's got some pretty high up connections." Chloe shook her head. "Fucking Arcadia Bay."

"So, if we can't trust the cops, that means you either need to rush him, or try to free me and we... what? rewind?" Rachel said, getting them back on topic of the plan.

"I have my gun upstairs, rushing him wouldn't be too difficult." Chloe said.

"Too dangerous, he has a gun too and I'd hate to have to keep rewinding because he got lucky, or you missed... or he hits me in the leg or something." Max said.

"Max is right, we can't risk our time traveler on a bum rush." Rachel nodded. "So... get in quietly, knock him out if you have to... grab me and then... rewind?"

"Rewind to when though? We don't want to leave Chloe's truck in the middle of the street , or for you to vanish right in front of Jeffershit's eyes." Max scratched her nose as she tried to think how this could work.

"Rewind to before he meets me? That way we'll know he's out of the way for a while."

"That will take some serious clock watching." Chloe added. "And our watches won't help if we're in the rewind."

"So we have some idea to get in and surprise him but... what the fuck do we do with him once we have him?" Max asked uncertainly. "I'm no killer."

They all went quiet, this was the real problem. Not how they got in, not how they found him, but what they'd do with him. Max thought of all the lives she'd taken by saving Chloe, the lives she had forfeit so Chloe could have a future. Was the question now if she could take a life for Rachel? It wouldn't be a tornado to kill Jefferson, she'd have to do it herself.

"Let's find where he's hiding. Find out if he's been doing his shit again." Rachel said

"How would that help?" Chloe asked.

"Because then we have options. We could call the cops and hope it works, or burn his shit to the ground or... whatever else we have to do."

"Let's wait until midday, then we'll try a group reset..." Max said. "And if it works, we can plan around that."

"What if you're exhausted again?" Chloe said, looking concerned.

"I reset two weeks last time, it was bound to take a lot out of me. This time, it'll only be a few hours."

"Will I remember anything?" Rachel asked.

"If you're with us, you'll remember all of these conversations." Chloe smirked. "It's hella awesome."


	14. Blazing Eyes

They had a plan, but until they ran their test they had no idea if they needed to modify it, so they were killing time in each others company. Max and Chloe had cuddled up together on the couch, making the most of the time they had while Rachel put on a movie for them all to watch. Max had no idea which film was on, she was far more interested in tracing the tattoo on Chloe's arm, taking in all the colourful details she'd seen every single day for the last six months. She could honestly say she was obsessed with her, she couldn't imagine where she would be without the punk, unless she thought back to those two weeks. Even in the original timeline she had only lost Chloe for a night, and she had been so focused on finding a way back to her she'd not had the time to mourn. But those two weeks without her were different, that time she'd believed her powers were gone and she'd never get a moment like this again, it made her appreciate her time with Chloe more than she already thought was possible. An obsession that she was only too happy to feed.

Chloe wasn't exactly helping with their loving obsession, taking every moment she had to touch Max in some way to ensure the brunette was still there and not a figment of her own imagination. She had suffered for just as long as Max, waiting for her to wake up from a coma caused by Jefferson. They were so lucky the dose hadn't been fatal, she had no idea what would happen if another Max died after she changed the timeline. Would she just cease to exist? Return from the dead? Die again? It was too much to think about. She stopped tracing the tattoo and snuggled in closer, burying her head into Chloe's chest, trying to escape the spiraling thoughts. Chloe softly squeezed the smaller girl, reacting comfortingly to the sudden increased pressure on her chest.

"You two okay?" Rachel asked, noticing the pained expressions on their faces.

"I am now." Chloe said, kissing the top of Max's head.

"I can't wait for this mess to be over." Max admitted, turning her head so she could see Rachel. "But I don't think it's going to end with Jefferson."

"Why's that?" Chloe asked.

"Jefferson's connections. Whoever they are. They could be pulling the strings. Why else would he come after us?"

"Because he's crazy?" Rachel said, shrugging.

"I never thought he was crazy. He was manipulative, but he was also calculating, cold... he had a plan to not get caught. He was going to frame Nathan when he killed me and Chloe in my timeline." Max said, trying to think back to that horrible night in the Dark Room. "But this? It's like he's cracked."

"Maybe he doesn't plan to get caught?" Chloe said. "He certainly went down swinging in my timeline, but they thought he was trying to run. Although... I was the one to say it was him."

"If you hadn't told them that, do you think they'd have tried capturing him?" Rachel asked.

"Probably not, even your Dad had trouble believing me until I got the visitors logs from Nathan's hospital."

"And in another timeline, he only died because we were waiting for him. You shot him." Max said, looking up into Chloe's eyes.

"So he's not planning on getting caught, again." Rachel said.

"But he's willing to kill to escape." Max could remember all her rewinds in the Dark Room to stop David from being killed.

Rachel looked at her phone as a text arrived, but didn't start typing a response. "It's midday."

"You sure about this?" Chloe asked as they all got up from their comfortable seating arrangement.

"Only one way to find out." Max said nervously.

"Do we... need to hug or something?" Rachel looked just as nervous as Max felt.

"Just... hold hands." Max said, taking hold of Chloe's hand and holding out the other for Rachel. Rachel took hold of Max's hand, and grasped Chloe's too. The three looked from one to another, a weak smile on their faces.

"We're going back to this morning?" Rachel asked.

"When we were holding each other in bed." Max said, she didn't want to try doing this to a moment where they weren't connected. She didn't want to try something so new so soon when she didn't even know if she could do it again.

"Whenever you're ready SuperMax. Your minions await." Chloe smirked, trying to inject some humour into the stressful situation.

"Dork." Max grinned, closing her eyes as she tried to tap into that power, that moment that had allowed her and Chloe to undo two weeks of chaos. Her consciousness brushed against the power, contained behind a blue barrier deep inside her, it's power just waiting to be tapped and released how she wished to utilise it. Everything else she could do had become second nature, she only needed to think about it and she could freeze time or rewind with almost perfect accuracy to the moment she wanted to continue from. All those months playing with the ATMs had honed her rewind skills nicely.

"No luck?" Chloe asked quietly.

"Just... got lost in my thoughts." Max admitted, opening her eyes to look at Chloe. She could feel that power now, she was ready to pop the bubble. "Ready?" She asked.

"On you Mad Max." Rachel smiled.

"Let's do it!" Chloe smirked.

She and Chloe both felt the tiring effects of the reset on their bodies, it wasn't quite like last time but she could feel the extra drag of an extra passenger. The world quickly flashed by around them, the reds and blues forced to stand out vividly once more. Before Max could wonder about it any further they were all lying back in bed together. Rachel was snuggled into Max, Chloe was propped up on her elbow, her arm draped over Max's waist. It had actually fucking worked.

"Oh... my... fucking God." Rachel said, slowly moving away from Max's embrace. The weight of Chloe's arm disappeared, then from behind Max she heard her woop out loudly.

"Holy fucking shit Max! It's morning again!" She showed the two girls her phone.

"It actually fucking worked." Rachel muttered. "And I remember... all of it. Oh my fucking God."

Max smiled, but she felt that same exhaustion pulling at her limbs. It wasn't based on far back they went after all, just using that power was draining on her.

"I'm tired." She whispered softly. "It... always takes a lot out of me."

"I feel fine though." Chloe said.

"I'm the one using it." Max grinned, rolling over so she could cuddle into Chloe.

"So a hard reset comes with a cost." Rachel said, rubbing Max's back gently. Max checked her nose subtly, hoping it wasn't about to start bleeding, but it seemed she was okay for now.

"That means we could find out where he hides, and then hard reset." Chloe said. "And you won't have to remember any of it." She added to Rachel.

"That's comforting." Rachel replied, though she sounded sad.

"We could then sneak in and fuck up his shit, or hide in wait and fuck him up." Chloe continued, oblivious to Max slowly falling asleep in her arms again. Max was getting sick of always falling asleep at a time she wanted to be awake.

* * *

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Chloe asked as Max slept in her arms. Rachel had sat in the chair they had in their bedroom for times like this. Chloe never wanted to leave Max's side while she slept, and Rachel wanted to be with both of them. It had only made sense to get a really comfortable chair for one of them to sit in while the other cared for Max.

"If it means we can find him, fuck yeah." Rachel replied. "And I won't have to remember any of the shit he does to me."

"You still have to live through it at the time."

"I've done that three times already, according to Max." Rachel shook her head. "I'm doing it. We need to deal with him."

"I say we burn his shit, make him angry, get under his fucking skin." Chloe said, trying not to raise her voice too much in case she woke Max.

"I can agree to making a little bonfire of whatever shit can burn. But what do we do about him?"

"I don't know..." Chloe said. "Max is right, we're not murderers."

"We could call the cops once we know where he is, let the authorities handle it."

"I feel like we're treading old ground. We can't stay on the defensive, we're struggling just to go on the offensive. I don't want to have to repeat this in another six months because he gets let off on a fucking technicality or some stupid bullshit."

"How far would you go to save Max?" Rachel asked.

"I... I'd do anything for her." She whispered, there was nothing else she could say, it would be a lie otherwise.

"She let a tornado hit Arcadia for you, and then for us. If she can't... kill that fucker... I will, for her." Rachel said, a resolve setting in behind her eyes. Chloe caught a glimpse of the fire she hadn't seen in years. Rachel was angry.

"You sure about that?" Chloe asked.

"For that girl? Yeah. I'm sure."

Max started to stir, nuzzling into Chloe's chest as she woke up. She couldn't help but stroke the brunette's hair, so glad to have her back in her arms. She knew what she wanted for their future when she looked into those blue eyes, they just had to deal with Jefferson first.

* * *

"There's the text again." Rachel said, dropping her phone on the dining room table before wandering over to the fridge to look for food.

"Sent the same back?" Max asked between large mouthfuls, she was famished. Chloe had actually cooked her a full meal after seeing the hungry look in her eyes.

"Yep." Rachel said. "And I called Vienne and told her we were ill, ate something that didn't agree with us."

"I forgot I had to do that." Max said, her stomach still growling at her.

"No problem, she understood. Said get well soon." Rachel sat down across from Max, a small plate of cookies in front of her.

"You're evil." Max said, eying the cookies. "You know how hungry I am right now."

"Maybe they're to share?" Rachel smiled.

"Okay... you're awesome." Max returned the smile.

"You won't be able to reset again today." Chloe said, placing a bacon sandwich on the table for herself. "We don't want you passing out at the worst possible moment, or not having the power to fully reset the day."

"I know." Max said with a full mouth. "So we'll do it tomorrow. How eager is Jeffershit to meet you?" She asked Rachel.

"Eager. He was laying on all the charm for a good week before I agreed."

"So tomorrow, I'll take a selfie with Chloe in our bedroom as a back up. We'll put it under your pillow." She said to Chloe. "That way if my reset fails us, we have another way to give us the information."

"Hang on..." Chloe grinned. "What if you take a selfie now. Then when we've done it, you use that selfie and give us the information now?"

"What..." Rachel looked confused, but she was most likely mirroring the same expression on Max's face.

"You're saying, take a selfie, find his hideout, use the selfie? And then we won't need to find his safehouse again?"

"Just thinking like a time traveler." Chloe grinned. "Plus, I'll admit, I read it in a book. But it was about paradoxes."

"Paradoxes don't seem to be a problem with Max's power." Rachel grinned. "I'm living proof of that. If Max doesn't have a reason to go back and save me, why am I still saved?"

"Oh no, don't start with the paradox debate." Max said, holding her head. "I don't want to go into it when I'm so fucking hungry."

Chloe laughed and ruffled Max's hair playfully. "We'd never do that to you." She said before taking a bite from her sandwich.

"It does mean writing over another Max though." Max said sadly. "Anything you did with me that day would... be gone. Another lost memory. I'd only remember tracking down Jefferson."

"So you'd rather reset, and wear yourself out?" Chloe asked softly.

"As long as it meant our memories would be the same, then yes. I don't mind cuddling up to you to sleep." Max grinned.

"What do you think Rachel?"

"I'd still have to go through it, one way or the other. It's up to Max how she'd like to undo it." Rachel smiled, taking a bite from one of her cookies.

"Okay. So selfie is our back up. Reset is our go to." Chloe nodded.

"It'll wipe me out for tomorrow, but we'll know where he's hiding." Max said, putting down her knife and fork.

"And I can get him to leave again by offering to meet up with him, as planned. But I'll actually be with the two of you." Rachel added.

"Then we sneak in and fuck up his shit." Chloe grinned.

* * *

The next day Max was sat in Chloe's truck, slowly rocking back and forth in her seat. Her nerves were really getting to her despite all of their planning, despite the photo back home and knowing she could hard reset straight back to bed with Chloe. They'd dropped Rachel off around the corner and then pulled up in one of the parking bays across from the park Jefferson had told her to meet him at. Seeing Rachel sitting there waiting for a psychopath was a torment in its own right. The girl had been energetic and bubbly that morning, teasing Max and Chloe for taking so long with the selfie but the closer they came to the park the more subdued she became.

"I can't take this." Max whispered, gripping the seat tightly.

"We'll get him Max, don't worry." Chloe said, taking Max's hand and giving it a firm squeeze. "We won't let anything happen to our girl."

"Why meet in a public place?" Max asked, never taking her eyes off Rachel.

"So she's relaxed? Feels safe?"

"Fucking asshole." Max muttered.

"At least we bought Donuts." Chloe said, putting her feet up on the dashboard. "Proper little stake out."

"There he is." Max said, seeing the man who had kept her capture in the Dark room all those timelines ago.

"Which one?" Chloe said, dropping her feet back down into the footwell.

"That guy in the suit with the goatee and glasses. Smarmy fucking asshole hasn't changed a bit."

"I see him." Chloe sat up, her arms on the steering wheel.

They watched the exchange between Rachel and Jefferson but there was no way they knew what was being said. She smiled and laughed at something he said, his back was to them though so they didn't know what he was doing.

"We should have called Rach and kept the line open." Chloe commented. "If we ever have to do this shit again..."

"We'll remember." Max said. "Look, they're moving."

Rachel was following Jefferson towards the other entrance of the park. Max checked the clock they'd stuck on the dashboard, noted the time and quickly got out of the truck. She crossed the road carefully and walked briskly into the park, trying to keep an eye on Rachel just like they'd planned. She tried to act naturally, but it was difficult when your best friend was now holding hands with a killer.

"Don't over do it Rach." Max muttered to herself as the blonde appeared to pack on the charm.

Jefferson stopped by one of the cars near the entrance, his smile only for Rachel, who appeared to nod her head a few times and started to get into the car. Max pulled out her camera and took a picture of the car and its license plate as it pulled away, then she hauled ass back across the park, dodging around couples and children. She almost dove back into the truck, put her hand on Chloe's leg and rewound them both back to the moment she left the truck.

"This car, far side." Max breathed heavily, handing Chloe the photo.

"Nice idea Max." Chloe said, starting the engine and carefully driving around the park.

"She's piling on the fucking charm." Max said when she'd caught her breath.

"We knew she would." Chloe commented. "She's trying to get him to lower his guard and take her."

"Yeah but she has to be fucking careful not to tip him off, he's not an idiot."

"There's the car." Chloe said, seeing it taking a right.

"Okay Chloe, you're up. Follow that car."

"Aye aye Captain Time-Lady." Chloe sniggered.

* * *

Chloe's tailing skills were terrible, though Jefferson didn't appear to be paying much attention to the beat up truck trying to follow him across LA. Whatever Rachel was doing to keep his attention was working, but it didn't help Max. Everytime Chloe made a mistake she would panic, preparing to rewind time or use her reset. It was the most stressful hour of her day so far.

Jefferson's car pulled up outside a group of warehouses over an hour after leaving the park, where he got out with Rachel who looked absolutely fine. She was still smiling and laughing as they walked away from the car towards one of the warehouses, though from were Max and Chloe had parked it was difficult to see which one.

"She's not drugged yet." Max commented, quietly opening the truck door and slipping out.

"Maybe he promised to show her his new set up?" Chloe said, following Max's lead. "Or we're not at his hideout yet..."

They quickly approached the car, trying not to scuff their feet on the floor and make a noise. They looked cautiously down an alley and saw a number of doors but they were all closed. They had no idea where Rachel had gone. Max grabbed Chloe's hand and began her rewind, watching for the first sign of Jefferson. As soon as Max saw his suit jacket appear through one of the doorways she released the rewind, allowing time to continue on. Chloe was already moving towards the correct door, her hand still in Max's in case they had to rewind suddenly.

"It's locked." Chloe said, trying to open it.

"Fuck." Max muttered, trying to look through the blacked out windows.

"Rewind, we'll bust in past him, and then you rewind again so he forgets us."

"What if he's armed? We could get shot."

"And the longer we wait, the more you'll have to rewind. Come on Max, we have to make sure this is the right place." Chloe looked as anxious as she felt.

"Fine... here we go." Max started the rewind, watching the door right in front of them. It opened, and there was Jefferson with Rachel ahead of him, slowly coming back towards them. Max released the power and at once Chloe pushed in past Jefferson, knocking him over as she went. As soon as they were both inside Max froze time and stopped dead in her tracks. The centre of the warehouse had been turned into an almost exact replica of the Dark Room. The set up with the chair, the couch, the white floor and walls, all of the equipment. The only thing that was missing was the obscure and creepy wall art. She felt as though she was back in that bunker. Jefferson was a perfectionist, it made sense that he would prefer a similar set up for his illicit activities.

"Oh my God Max." Chloe whispered beside her. "Is this..."

"The Dark Room." Max answered.

"We need to fucking hide before you rewind and release your power." Chloe said, attempting to pull Max further into the room.

"Yeah... yeah... okay." Max stumbled forward, trying not to relive those memories as they came back to her. Chloe pulled her away from the door and behind one of the white walls where Jefferson wouldn't see them.

"Okay, rewind and release." Chloe said, trying to get Max to focus. "Or we can reset, right now. We know where he is."

"I..." Max closed her eyes, looking for that power, looking for the strength to reset their day. The barrier resisted her, repelling all her attempts to activate that amazing ability. "I can't Chloe. I can't reset."

"Fuck... okay Max, rewind and then release the freeze. Then try to reset."

Max tried to follow Chloe's instructions, she peeked her head around the corner and rewound Jefferson and Rachel out the of the door, waited for it to close, then released both the freeze and the rewind as she ducked back behind the wall. They heard the door open, followed by Rachel's laughter.

"Okay Max, reset." Chloe whispered. But once again the power remained out of her touch, the barrier remained constant.

"I can't do it." Max said quietly as Jefferson's voice got closer.

"I've had to do all my work here lately, capturing the moments as they come." Jefferson said. "Models won't work with me after those accusations."

"I'm sure they'll come around when you get your work back out there." Rachel said convincingly.

"What should we do?" Chloe hissed.

"I was hoping you'd agree to be my first model, just like you used to do." Jefferson sounded much closer now.

"Me?" Rachel asked, Max could hear the uncertainty in her voice.

"You're already a respected model these days, I've seen your pictures." Jefferson continued. "That... Max Caulfield is it? She has quite an eye for photography."

"She is an excellent photographer." Rachel replied.

"I've been rude, would you like a drink?"

"Sure." Rachel said, Max didn't know what to do. She should stop this, it was one thing to know Rachel had gone through an ordeal it was another to listen and not act.

"I have water, a few beers, nothing hot I'm afraid."

"I'll have a beer." Rachel answered.

"Please, make yourself comfortable." Jefferson said, they heard the unmistakable sound of the crouch scratching on the floor as somebody sat down.

"Max, what should we do?" Chloe hissed again.

"Oh fuck... wing it." She finally said, taking Chloe's hand and freezing time. Max took charge, leading Chloe around the partition back into the Dark Room replica. Rachel was sat on the couch, a look of nervousness etched on her face. Jefferson was already by a fridge with the door open, a syringe visible in his hand. Max was not going to let him anywhere near Rachel with that.

She looked around, studying their options. There was a filing cabinet behind the desk. She thought she could see the hint of red folders beind the slightly open door. He'd been out for months, who knows how many unsuspecting victims he'd already dosed and captured, hidden away in those files.

"Did you bring your gun?" She asked Chloe, remembering her girlfriend's weapon in the other timeline.

"Of course, you want me to shoot him?" Chloe said.

"No... just stop him shooting us." Max smiled. "I'm going to release the freeze, if he goes for a gun shoot him."

"Okay, what are you going to do?"

"We're going to make him burn his own files. Unsettle him, maybe persaude him to leave and never look back." Max said. "Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be." Chloe pulled her weapon from her lower back. "I'm so glad I brought this."

Max released the power and Rachel almost yelled when she saw them appear in front of her. Max reached a hand out to Rachel, who quickly jumped up off the couch to take it, wheeling around to face Jefferson.

"Now then... how about..." He stopped dead in his tracks, looking at the three young women standing before him. Chloe was on Max's left aiming her weapon casually in his direction, while Rachel was holding onto Max's right hand like her life depended on it.

"Hello Jefferson." Max said. "I suggest you don't make any sudden moves. My girlfriend gets really protective of Rachel."

"So you're Chloe. I've heard all about you." Jefferson said, his hand tight around the syringe. "Rachel spoke very highly of you."

"Put the syringe down." Max ordered. "Now."

"Okay, okay. We can all be friendly here." He said, placing the syringe on the counter by the fridge.

"You were going to fucking dose me." Rachel said, finding some of her usual confidence.

"No, of course not. Just something to help you relax, like old times." He said with a soft smile. "I'd never do anything to hurt you."

"Bullshit." Max said. "Rachel, go and open the cabinet by the desk, take out the red folders."

"Okay." Rachel said, reluctantly releasing Max's hand and walking towards the desk. Jefferson remained still, just as he'd been told. Rachel opened the cabinet and began taking the red files out, loading them onto the desk. One slipped open, revealing a young girl tied to the chair that was currently behind Max and Chloe. "You piece of shit." She said, throwing the file onto the couch. "How old was she? Eighteen?"

"Rach..." Max tried to say.

"How could you do this to her? What the fuck did she ever do to you? You sick fuck!" She threw the rest of the files onto the couch.

"Rach, come here." Max said softly, her hand out stretched. Rachel's eyes had that fire in them, the fire Max loved so much about her, that she tried to capture so often. She needed to pull her back from that edge, to help her control that power.

"Rach... come on." Chloe tried to help, she could probably see that fire in her eyes too though Max hoped she was keeping her attention on Jefferson. Rachel finally seemed to give in to Max's request, walking around the couch to stand beside her friend and taking her hand again.

"So now what?" Jefferson said. "You're just going to walk out? Call the police?"

Max smiled and shook her head. "No, you're going to set your files on fire."

"And why would I do that?" He almost shouted back. Max knew how precious these files were to him.

"Either you do it, or I will." Max said, releasing Chloe and putting her hand in Chloe's pocket to take out a cigarette and her lighter.

"Fine... fine you little bitch." Jefferson said, slowly walking over to the desk and snatching up some matches he kept for lighting the candles to set the mood. "I will make you pay for this." He said, walking to the back of the couch and removing a match from the box.

"I've already had enough of you and this dark room to last a lifetime Jefferson." Max shot back. "You should be in prison, you should never have got out."

"Ah... you're the girl who made the anonymous tip." Jefferson said, a look of realisation on his face. "Nathan mentioned you. Maxine, was it?"

"It's Max."

"Max Caulfield, the respected photographer. Well Max, it's a shame I never got the chance to take pictures of you or Rachel, or even your beautiful friend. The three of you would have made excellent subjects."

"Light the match Jefferson, burn your files." Rachel ordered, her hand gripping Max's tightly.

"Okay, okay." He struck the match, a dark shadow crossed his face. "But I will make you pay for this." The match fell onto the files and began to burn slowly.

"You will never harm us again." Max said, squeezing Rachel's hand gently and putting her arm around Chloe. The fire grew larger as the four of them looked on, slowly obscuring the psychopath behind the flickering light. The couch was burning too, all of his files were going up in flames and he couldn't do anything but watch.

"What do we do?" Chloe whispered. "Kind of... stuck here."

"Rach. Throw his cameras onto the fire too." Max said. Rachel was more than happy to comply, walking over to the equipment in the corner behind them and looking for his camera.

"Don't you fucking dare." Jefferson said, starting to move around the couch towards Rachel.

"Don't fucking move." Chloe growled, her stance tensed, ready for the kick from her weapon.

"Fuck you!" Jefferson said. Rachel threw the camera into the fire but she'd walked too close to Jefferson. He reached out and grabbed her, Chloe was about to fire when the flames grew larger, licking out and burning Jefferson's hand and arm, forcing him to recoil. Rachel was almost pulled into the flames. Max rushed forward with her hand extended towards the girl as the fire licked at her arm and blonde hair. Jefferson tried lunging for Rachel again, Chloe kept a hand on Max but couldn't see through the fire as it grew exponentially, engulfing the man in flames almost as soon as they touched him. Rachel seemed to disappear behind the flickering light but Max felt their hands connect and instantly forced themselves into the freeze time.

"What the fuck is going on?!" Chloe yelled. Max looked to the fire, it was huge. It was completely out of their control and Rachel was right next to it.

"What... the... fuck..." Max muttered as the massive fire raged beside her. She had no idea why the fire had suddenly roared into life so quickly, there wasn't enough fuel for it to have become so intense so quickly. Time was frozen but the fire was growing larger, stronger. Rachel walked carefully out of the radius of the fire, embracing Max in a strong hug as they closed together.

"Thank you Max." She whispered, kissing her cheek.

"Are you seeing this?" Max said, she couldn't take her eyes off the dazzling blaze.

"What?" Rachel said, turning to look at the fire. She gasped when she saw just how high the flames had become, licking at the warehouse ceiling. "What... the fuck is going on?"

"I have no idea." Max mumbled. They were all entranced by the beauty of the fire.

"Max... is that you?" Chloe asked, her hand gripping Max's tightly, her other hand on her shoulder, trying to pull her away.

"No way... I can't do anything like that."

"Where's Jefferson?" Rachel asked, trying to look into the heart of the fire.

"No clue, he was right there." Chloe answered, trying to peer into the heart of the fire.

"We need to get the fuck out of here, right now." Max said, she'd finally noticed the fire was moving in her frozen time. She pulled on the two girls, trying to lead them away from the monstrous blaze and towards the exit. They followed reluctantly, it was like they were in awe of the light of the flames, the creepiness of it moving while frozen. Chloe forced the door open and they quickly sprinted up the brightly lit street, only stopping when they reached the truck.

"What about fingerprints and shit in the car?" Rachel said, looking towards Jefferson's vehicle.

"Did you touch anything?" Chloe asked.

"Of course I did!" Rachel retorted, her anger growing. "I couldn't not fucking touch anything, I thought we were resetting the day!" Max was feeling the pressure, the freeze was taking more and more out of her, more than normal. Chloe looked as thought she was starting to feel it too, she was leaning against the truck for support.

"We need to go... I can't hold the freeze much longer." Max said as her nose started to bleed.

"I can't just leave fucking evidence!" Rachel yelled. Chloe's nose began to bleed too.

"We have to go!" Chloe yelled. Max released the power and weakly climbed into the truck. Rachel stopped Chloe from driving and pushed her over into the middle between her and Max.

"What the fuck is going on?" Rachel said as she drove them all away. The warehouse was quickly engulfed in flames behind them, followed closely by Jefferson's car.


	15. Phoenix Rising

They got back to their house, but Max and Chloe were both feeling and looking extremely exhausted. Max's nose was bleeding from both nostrils, Chloe was struggling to remain standing. Rachel had to help them get into the house, one at a time. She helped Max onto the couch first, then went back out for Chloe, who she then struggled to get up the stairs. Max lay waiting on the couch, her head felt like it was about to split open. She didn't understand why it was getting worse, she'd released the powers. Rachel quickly returned and helped Max up off the couch, trying to get her up the stairs.

"I've got you." Rachel said kindly, though her touch was sending painful needles through Max's nerves.

"I... don't know what's going on." Max said weakly, her head was spinning, she felt like she was about to... she keeled over onto the top of the stairs and threw up. "Fuck..." She muttered.

"It's okay." Rachel said, pulling her back up and almost dragging her into the bedroom. "I'll clean it up, you need to rest."

Rachel let her down carefully onto the bed next to Chloe, who was watching the two girls closely, a tissue pressed against her nose.

"Max..." Chloe whispered, her free hand resting lightly on Max's stomach. Rachel handed Max a couple of tissues for her nose, then quickly left the room.

"What's going on?" Max mumbled, keeping the tissue pressed to her own nose.

"I've no clue." Chloe replied, her eyes were barely open. It was all fucked up.

Max drifted in and out of consciousness, but everytime she closed her eyes she saw the golden flames taking Jefferson into its heart and she quickly opened her eyes again. It had been so beautiful, so radiant and magnificent, but she was also afraid of it. She laced her fingers into Chloe's, the touch not as painful as it had been with Rachel. The connection between them seemed to diminish the pain, her head gradually feeling more normal and not about to split in half.

Rachel soon returned with a tray of food and drinks. Her beautiful face was screwed up with concern for her two friends. Max hated seeing that look in her eyes. She wasn't supposed to be feeling this way. They should have been able to reset the day but Max had failed, and everything that had come afterwards was her fault.

"There's... something on the news about a fire in a warehouse." Rachel said, placing the tray on the end of the bed and helping Max sit up a little. "They're saying it's hard to contain."

"Just like the fire in Arcadia Bay?" Chloe said, sitting up on her own and throwing her tissue into the bin beside the bed.

"Yeah." Rachel nodded, wrapping her arms around herself. "Did I do it again?" She muttered quietly, sitting in the chair.

Max dabbed her nose as she looked between the two girls. "What happened with the fire in Arcadia?" She asked, throwing away one of the tissues and applying the second. Her nose was still bleeding.

"It was hard to contain, didn't do what the fire services thought it would do. Then it just... went out." Chloe answered, she looked exhausted. Her white shirt had drops of blood all over it and her eyes looked red.

"What the fuck just happened?" Rachel said, her head in her hands. Max tried to get up to comfort the girl, but her limbs felt heavy. Even Chloe barely moved, instead slipping down to rest her head on Max's shoulder.

"Should we use the selfie?" Max asked, resting her own head on Chloe's.

"Jefferson is gone... no fucking way he survived that fire." Rachel said, shaking her head. "I don't want us to go through that shit again. I want to know what that fucking thing was about."

"What do you think it was?" Max asked, checking her nose was finished bleeding. She was grateful she wasn't losing more blood, but looking down she saw how much she'd bled during their trip home. It explained some of her exhaustion.

"Like something else was feeding that fire, for it to get so fucking big." Chloe said. "I... don't know Max."

"I thought it was my freeze playing tricks but... it looked like it was slowly moving."

"I thought I was just imagining that. Like, it moved but it was a trick of the light.

"Rach, when you were close to the fire, what did you feel?" Max asked carefully.

"I was angry, really fucking angry and... hot... like I was burning, but then..." She closed her eyes. "I felt your hand, and the pain just stopped. I knew you'd frozen time around us."

"You didn't see or feel anything else?"

"No. Just your hand." She sat down on the bed in front of Max. "You saved me Max, again."

"I don't think it was me." Max muttered.

"But you pulled me out of the fire!" Rachel said, taking one of Max's hands.

"When I pulled you out..."

"That's when I started to feel tired." Chloe muttered, her eyes were almost closed again.

"Yeah..." Max nodded, her own eyes were feeling heavier.

"You two should sleep." Rachel smiled softly. "I'll go and look into this fire some more, maybe make some notes for you to look over."

"That sounds good..." Max muttered. She just wanted to sleep. She felt a soft press of lips against her forehead then the all encompassing darkness of sleep took her.

* * *

The fires licked around her shoes as the Dark Room burned around her. Jefferson walked through the flames as though they didn't exist. He looked furious, his eyes filled with the same rage Rachel possessed.

"You and your friends have a lot to answer for Maxine." He said, looking for his camera. "All my hard work, all my life working on this project and you fuck it up."

Max struggled against the straps on the chair once more, the fire was inching towards her, she could feel the heat spreading up her body.

"Stop moving!" He yelled, pointing a burning finger towards her. "This is your fault!"

"It's always going to be her fault." Rachel said, she was sat on the couch inside the heart of the flames, oblivious to the fire kissing her soft features. "She couldn't even reset the day properly.

"Just think of all those other Max's she left behind." Nightmare-Max said, standing beside Jefferson, her arm around his waist. "Think of the poor Max who didn't even get a week. Drugged into a coma and left for dead."

"Think of all the people in Arcadia Bay. Killed by a tornado because she couldn't sacrifice one girl." Victoria Chase said, her feet over Rachel's lap. The fires died, the room seemed to be back to normal. Then the water started rising across the floor.

"Or the people who's lives she completely ruined." Kate Marsh said, appearing in the door way, the water rising up to her ankles.

"No matter where she goes, she creates destruction." Chloe said, leaning on the back of the sofa behind Rachel. "Look at what she does to us. We're like dolls to her. I keep dying because she doesn't know when to leave things the hell alone."

"I did this for you..." Max whimpered.

"You got me killed, for me? Good answer Max." Chloe laughed, shaking her head. "You're like a child, always trying to fix what you break. Maybe you should have let me die in that bathroom after all. Then I'd be with Rachel and not you."

"Oh! Maybe that's why you couldn't let her go?" Rachel said. "Because you wanted to keep her all to yourself."

"Just like you did for the whole trip." Nightmare-Max said, crouching down next to Max. "You were always between them. In the truck, in bed, you were always cuddling up to her possessively. You can't stand the thought that Chloe may just want to be with Rachel instead of you."

"You don't even want me to enjoy your powers with you." Rachel said.

"I tried..." Max whispered.

"No you didn't. You accepted the third kiss to get back to your hostage, you never tried to reawaken that power with me. You don't want to share it with me." Rachel continued.

"I tried!" Max yelled.

"You're always trying Max. You couldn't even kill Jefferson, you had to rely on a twist of fate to help you there. The man who had killed your girlfriend, and you couldn't do what needed to be done. You spent hours arguing with yourself." Nightmare-Max said. "I'd know, I was the voice telling you to grow a fucking backbone and do it!"

"You thought our sessions were over?" Jefferson said, aiming the camera at Max. "We've only just begun."

* * *

When Max finally woke up she was sweating profusely, her clothes clung to her skin and tears were streaming down her face. She sat up, her muscles screaming at her once more. The bedroom was dark, they had slept most of the day and night away. Swinging her legs out of bed she got up and walked sluggishly into their en-suite bathroom, clicking on the light and nudging the door closed behind her. Looking in the mirror, she realised just how much of a mess she was. Her nose had bled more in the night, leaving a horrible red mess down her chin, neck and on her hands. Her hair was unkempt and laced with flecks of blood where she'd obviously run her fingers through her hair as she slept. The worst thing was the lines of blood around her eyes. There was no way a nosebleed could have caused that.

Something else had happened in that warehouse to have sapped her strength so fast, to have put her powers through the strain she hadn't endured since the night in Portland. But Chloe had been with her this time, they'd been connected throughout the ordeal, whatever happened had not just drained Max it had hurt Chloe too. They were probably only alive because of that connection.

They may never know the answer as to why, but it had something to do with Rachel, something to do with her rage. Of that Max was certain. She would never abandon the girl, and she'd promised Chloe, in the other timeline, that she would protect them both. But she'd failed at that, she couldn't protect them, she couldn't kill.

She turned on the shower and slowly stripped out of her bloody clothes, she still felt weak but there was no way she was returning to bed after that nightmare. Carefully she stepped into the shower and began rubbing away the blood that was caked to her face, then washed the blood out of her hair and from her hands. It was almost like all the pain was washing itself down the drain, making her feel lighter and more relaxed. She switched off the shower and quickly wrapped a towel around her chest. Feeling better she entered her bedroom, but what she saw made her feel sick.

Rachel and Chloe were lying on their bed, their lips connected in a passionate kiss as their hands traced over one anothers naked bodies. Max wanted to scream, she wanted to claw at them both but she remained there, shocked to the core. Chloe slowly started to kiss down Rachel's neck to her collarbone, then further down past her chest, which was rising and falling with each heavy breath.

"Fuck! Fuck... no... fuck..." Max started to say, she turned and stepped into the wall of the shower, smashing her cheek against the tiling. She was still in the shower under the water that was still running.

"Max!" Chloe said through the door. "Everything okay? I heard you cursing."

"I'm fine." Max replied, switching the shower off for what she thought was the second time.

"Didn't sound fine." She heard Chloe say.

"It's unlocked." Max said, pulling the towel around her petite frame. Chloe was quickly into the bathroom, a look of concern in her eyes.

"What happened? Are you okay?"

"Just a... nightmare." Max mumbled as Chloe led her out of the bathroom back to their bed.

"While you were in the shower?"

"I must have... dozed off or something."

"That's not good Max." Chloe said, flicking on the bedroom light and checking the brunette's face for injuries. Max had a chance to look at Chloe too, she hadn't had the bleeds like Max, she actually looked stunning considering what they'd both been through.

"Chloe..." She whispered, taking the blunette's hands.

"What is it?"

"I... keep having nightmares. Whenever I over use my powers."

"Well I know that." Chloe smiled softly. "Who do you think holds you close and stops you moving while you're having them?"

"Tonight... the one in the shower. It felt real. I came in here and you... you were with Rachel." Max said, knowing she was about to start crying.

"As in... with her, with her?"

"Naked, kissing... touching." Max said, shaking her head trying to clear the memory.

"Didn't happen babe." Chloe said softly. "I told you, not in years."

"It just felt so real."

"But it wasn't, and it never will be." Chloe said, wrapping her arms around Max in a tight embrace. "Believe me, I only have eyes for you."

Max smiled and put her own arms around her loving girlfriend. "I know." She said quietly, snuggling into the warmth of Chloe's body. "Did I wake you?"

"No, well... the lack of your ass in bed woke me." Chloe grinned.

"I'm really hungry." Max said suddenly.

Chloe laughed quietly. "Yeah, me too. Let's get a midnight snack."

Max quietly found out some fresh underwear and got dressed under Chloe's pervy gaze, Max threw her towel at her playfully to cover those beautiful blue eyes as she pulled on a dressing gown. Chloe took a moment to change her shirt when she realised it was still covered in drops of blood. They quietly left their bedroom and went downstairs, trying not to wake Rachel who was probably in a deep sleep at this time. The living room was dark, the little light that came in from the street lamps outside just enough to allow them to navigate their way into the kitchen. They weren't expecting to find Rachel asleep at the dining table, her face on a small notepad with the laptop still open next to it. Max tiptoed around the sleeping girl to look at the web page still on the screen.

"Looks like she's been researching all night." She whispered to Chloe, who had leaned against the kitchen counter near the fridge.

"Should we try to get her up to bed?" Chloe whispered back, neither of them wanted to wake the sleeping girl.

"Have you seen how small I am? I couldn't even lift you." Max said, shaking her head.

"Well she can't be comfortable, let's wake her and get her upstairs."

"Hey sweetie." Max said, gently rubbing Rachel's arm to try to wake her. "Rachel... come on, wake up."

"uh-wuh...?" Rachel said, her eyes opening slowly and looking at Max. "Timisit?" She mumbled.

"Two in the morning." Max said, checking the time on the laptop. She hadn't reset her watch since the night before.

"Fuck..." She smiled weakly at Max. "You look better."

"And you look tired." Max said gently. "Come on, let's get you up to bed."

"No... I... was looking up... stuff." Rachel said, looking back to the computer.

Chloe walked over to help Max with the task of persuading the blonde, with her purple highlight, to get up and go to bed. "Come on Rach, you need to sleep."

"Uh... you two suck." She said quietly, reluctantly pushing herself away from the table and standing up. "When's our next shoot?" She asked as Max gently led her through the living room.

"Tomorrow." Max answered. "We haven't got to get back to work yet."

"Good. I don't think I could concentrate with all this stuff in my head."

Max returned to the kitchen once she saw Rachel up the stairs, Chloe had a carton of juice open and was pouring it into a couple of glasses. Max sat where Rachel had been sitting and started looking through what the girl had found out so far.

"Anything interesting?" Chloe asked, putting a glass in front of Max before going back to the fridge to find food for them both.

"Nothing at all. She's just doodled loads of images of the fire." Max said. "The site is just a news article on it."

"Must be eating her up pretty bad." Chloe commented.

"I can't believe it grew so fast." Max said, closing down the laptop and putting it to one side.

"At least it got rid of Jeffershit."

"I... should have been the one to deal with him."

"What do you mean?" Chloe said, dropping some snacks on the table in front of them and sitting beside her.

"I promised you, I said I would protect Rachel. I... I couldn't kill Jefferson."

"You're not a killer though babe." Chloe took one of her hands. "You had no idea how it would go."

"I couldn't reset the day, I couldn't deal with Jefferson, and then I couldn't hold the freeze. Am... what is wrong with me?" Her hunger was gone, the thought of eating made her feel sick instead.

"Nothing!" Chloe said, turning in her chair to put her hands on Max's cheeks. "There is nothing wrong with you Max. You're not a fucking killer, none of us are. Jeffershit got what he deserved."

"But my powers? Why are... why..." She wiped a tear from her eyes. "It's defined me for the past 6 months, I'm the one who was rewinding for our money. I helped Rachel keep her Dad off our backs. It saved both of you." She placed a hand on Chloe's cheek, wanting to kiss her but it just wasn't the right time. "What am I without them? What happens to us if Rach goes missing again?"

"You aren't just your powers Max." Chloe said, smiling softly. "You're a brilliant photographer, a wonderful human being. You've put up with a lot of shit, mine and Rachel's. You've been loyal and kind and... loving and... Max, you're just fucking perfect to me." Max couldn't help but lose herself in Chloe's confident eyes. "We've said if you lose your powers it doesn't matter. I will still be with you, forever."

"But... if Rach..."

"If Rachel goes missing again and you don't have your powers... I..." Chloe swallowed, the look of concern appearing in those eyes, quickly subdued by that confidence. Her eyes could speak volumes about her emotions when she let them, and she certainly knew how to use her looks to get her way. "We'll just have to hope she comes back to us. It wouldn't be your fault."

The door to the kitchen slowly opened, Rachel was stood in the doorway, her blonde hair framing her beautiful features. She'd heard their conversation. Max wiped the tears from her eyes, trying not to look so defeated in front of their best friend. She was not expecting Rachel to swoop down on her like she did, wrapping the brunette in her arms and kissing her forehead.

"You idiot." Rachel said gently. "Why do you think we have jobs? So you don't have to worry about your powers, so you can lose them and we'll all be okay."

"But without them that week..."

"I would be gone, and you and Chloe would have been fine. Because you have each other." Rachel smiled at Chloe. "But you have the powers, and I've paid twice for my stupid fucking mistake from what you've told me. I'm not going to be taking this... whatever this is... for granted again."

"You can't just keep living as a third wheel to us." Max said, pulling free of the crushing embrace so she could hug Rachel in return.

"You think I'm lonely?" Rachel said, gently releasing the brunette.

"We've never heard about any of your nightly conquests, or even if you've met somebody." Chloe said.

"I'm not lonely, and I don't really go after just anybody. DeSilvio may think he's in with a chance, but if he's chasing me maybe he'll leave some of those other poor girls alone?" She grinned, a twinkle in her hazel eyes. "I... get to come home every night to two very beautiful women. My two best friends, who think they're being quiet but manage to keep me up sometimes." Max turned red, she had no idea they could be that loud at night. "I thought Jeffershit was... something else. But... he's not us." She sat down opposite them.

"You said you needed more than whatever this is." Chloe said, remembering their argument.

"I've had some time to think since then." Rachel said quietly. "I... miss the closeness. I kind of hate waking up alone. Some of the best times for me, when we were coming to LA, was waking up beside the two of you." This was the most open Rachel had been with Max in a while. She had no idea how much the blonde had been feeling. "But... I don't want a different life. I have an awesome fucking job, I work with a caring and respectful photographer. I can do whatever I want but... all I want is to chill with my two girls!" Her smile faltered. "But I'm scared that... one day you're going to ask me to leave. You'll want to be a couple without that extra person you have to think about."

"So... you were trying to get out before you were forced out." Max said, understanding almost immediately. Rachel merely nodded.

"You idiot." Chloe said, echoing Rachel from earlier. "Five months, and I can say I have never once thought of being without you."

"I told you, you're family." Max said, shaking her head and smiling weakly. "You're part of our home, you're a big part of our fucking lives!"

"If I ever did start dating somebody... they'd really have to fit in with you two as well, huh?" Rachel said, a smile returning to her face.

"Damn right." Chloe said. "I'm not losing you because of a piece of ass."

Rachel laughed and nodded. "Your piece of ass certainly fits in." She looked at Max who blushed again.

"You're both dorks." Max said, finally opening one of the snacks and taking a bite. "Okay... I'm fucking starving."

* * *

Max woke up in the morning to the sight of Rachel once more. She used to sleep on Chloe's other side when they were in San Francisco, but ever since their argument she'd gravitated more towards Max. It still felt strange waking up sandwiched between the two girls, like she was keeping them apart as Nightmare-Max had taunted her in that latest nightmare. But she didn't choose the sleeping arrangements, Rachel chose where she wanted to be. Max didn't want it to become a consistent thing, she liked her intimate time with Chloe. Okay, that was a lie. She fucking loved her intimate time with Chloe, and they didn't have as much of it since they'd got the jobs.

She was about to get out of bed when Chloe's arm slipped around her waist and pulled her in tightly, a soft kiss tingling the back of her neck. Max didn't resist the close contact, it had been the one thing she had missed most during her week without Chloe. She would be making the most of every moment in Chloe's loving arms.

"Sleep okay?" Chloe whispered softly into Max's ear.

"Better than before." Max answered, rolling over carefully so she didn't wake the blonde. She planted a firm kiss on Chloe's lips. "And much better now." She smiled.

"You have no idea how much I've missed waking up with you." Chloe said, resting her forehead against Max's.

"Oh believe me, I have an idea." Max smirked. "I'm just so glad to have you back."

"Okay..." Rachel mumbled from behind Max. "That is one thing..." She yawned. "I haven't missed."

"What's that?" Chloe asked, not taking her eyes off Max.

"Waking up to your lovey noisy kissing." Rachel laughed slightly, sitting up in bed. "Where's my shirt?"

"You took it off, don't ask us." Max replied, rolling onto her back and trying not to laugh at Rachel's state of undress. "Did you sleep naked last night?"

"I don't fucking know..." Rachel mumbled. "No... just... without a bra. I must not have remembered I'd already... yeah okay, awkward." Chloe was laughing quietly with Max at the blonde's confusion. "I'm going to go and get dressed now... and try not to remember this."

Max rolled back onto her side to look at her girlfriend while the blonde struggled out of bed, an arm across her chest to keep some of her modesty. Their bedroom door closed with a snap as Rachel left, which was Max's cue to start kissing Chloe with a passion. They didn't have work today, and Max was going to make the most of the day off by reconnecting with her punk. Before they could get too involved with each other, the door opened once more.

"The fire is still raging." Rachel said, dropping a newspaper on the bed by Max's feet.

Max looked up at the blonde, who'd pulled on a simple white shirt at some point. "Would you like us to go back and fix it?" She asked, feeling Chloe's hand take hold of hers.

"No... fuck no. I don't want to have to deal with him again." Rachel said, pacing the room. "But what if the fire is out of control? What if they can't stop it?"

"Last time it went out on it's own." Chloe said. "Maybe this one will too?"

"When did it go out?" Max asked.

"I... remember the firefighters talking about it when we were in the hospital, when Rachel was..." Chloe stopped talking and looked to Rachel.

"When I got stabbed." Rachel finished, slumping down into the chair. "That's some fucking coincidence."

"It might be." Chloe said, trying to sound confident.

"You set the fire and it went out when you were hurt?" Max said. "Some coincidence."

"We didn't think anything of it at the time." Chloe admitted. "I was just so happy she wasn't dead."

"How can we stop this? Without going back to the past?" Rachel said, looking between the two girls. "I... don't exactly want to have to get stabbed again."

"I'd like to skip that solution too." Chloe smirked.

"But it does explain something... if the fire is connected to you Rach, that's why it was moving in freeze time. It's why it took so much out of us." She looked at Chloe. "It was part of our freeze."

"So I... have a gift too?" Rachel said, looking confused.

"Not an active one." Max said. "Latent, whenever you feel particularly angry around a fire."

"But I didn't set that fire." Rachel argued.

"You didn't need to." Chloe shrugged. "You're... special."

"Oh fuck... this is messed up." Rachel sat down in the chair, her head in her hands.

Max and Chloe both sat up in bed so they could still see the blonde. "It will go out eventually, we know that much." Max offered.

"But will anybody else die because of it?" Rachel asked sadly.

"We... don't know that." Chloe said, squeezing Max's hand. "Shall we... start planning to undo it?"

"Hard reset." Max nodded. "It'll wipe me out, we'll still have to deal with Jeffer..."

"No." Rachel said, cutting Max off. "No. Let it burn. Let that motherfucker burn. They'll get it under control eventually, it's not a forest fire, it'll run out of things to burn eventually."

Rachel stood up and left the room, leaving Max and Chloe alone. Chloe looked worried, and Max was sure the same expression was on her own face.

"Plan for the worst." Chloe whispered, kissing Max softly on the head.

* * *

They both went downstairs around midday, their stomachs growling at them. They'd spent most of the morning discussing how to help Rachel, but the blonde had never returned to talk to them. She was sitting on the couch watching the TV, the news occassionally mentioning the blaze being under control but with no known cause yet. Max sat beside the blonde and leaned into the corner while Chloe disappeared into the kitchen once more.

"You okay?" Max asked gently.

"Glad it's almost over." Rachel smiled weakly. "I really thought... that motherfucker was something else."

"So did I, when I first met him." Max said. "In my timeline." She added quickly.

"You got to know him too?"

"Not like... that." Max blushed. "At one time... a girl can dream right?"

"We can all dream." Rachel nodded absently.

"But... when I saw him standing over me after he'd shot Chloe, and all of the dark room shit I went through... Rach he was a fucking monster. He'd manipulated Nathan into doing some fucking disgusting things."

"Like overdosing me?"

"Drugging Chloe too. And Kate, the girl I told you about." Max said sadly. "I saw the picture Nathan took of Chloe, when she tried to blackmail him for money. He drugged her Rach, using what he'd learned from Jeffershit. But because of overdosing you, he didn't dose her enough."

"Fucking hell Max."

"I know... it's just so..."

"Do we have to keep going over this shit?" Rachel said, surprising Max. "You just have to keep telling me how fucked up that whole time was, how fucking shitty it was for you. I get it, okay? It was all shitty. I made my bed and I fucking lay down in it, I fucked everything up and I fucked up again here." Max was taken aback at how upset and angry the blonde had become. "You've saved my life over and over again, I get it. I owe you... but I don't need to hear this shit again today." Rachel got off the couch without another look at Max and stormed off upstairs, leaving Max alone and dumbstruck on the couch.


	16. Silencing the Chaos

Chloe entered the living room to see her brunette girlfriend alone on the couch, a sad look in her normally sparkling blue eyes. After everything they'd been through and the nightmares Max had suffered, it broke her heart to see the girl looking so down. She placed the plate of sandwiches on the dining room table and sat beside the girl, who quickly put her arms around Chloe.

"What happened?" Chloe asked, stroking Max's hair softly.

"I... don't know. I was trying to make her feel better about Jefferson and she just..." Max said quietly, shrugging her shoulders.

"I'll talk to her." The punk said, kissing Max's forehead. "Don't worry about it, okay?"

"I thought everything was fine." Max said, releasing Chloe and taking one of the sandwiches as her stomach growled at them both.

"You have something to eat." Chloe smiled, releasing her girlfriend. "I'll talk to grouchy. I know how she can get."

Giving Max a gentle squeeze, Chloe left the couch and went upstairs. She knew how Rachel could get, she'd seen her act this way before and while it hadn't gone well at the junkyard, she had managed to finally reach out to the blonde. After everything the three of them had been through over the last few months, Chloe thought Rachel would have been more open with Max instead of shutting her out this way. They were supposed to be best friends too. She knocked on Rachel's bedroom door and waited for the response.

"Chloe?" The blonde said quietly.

"Yeah. Can I come in?" She said, feeling stupid talking to the door.

"Yeah..."

Chloe opened the door and stepped into Rachel's room. Unlike Max and Chloe's room, the blonde had painted her room similar to her old room in Arcadia Bay. The wall above the girl's desk was filled with polaroid pictures of the three of them, including a special one in the very centre above the laptop, it was the one of Max and Rachel in Seattle on Max's bed. Rachel really knew how to personalize her space artistically. The blonde was sat on her king size bed, tears in her hazel eyes, looking down at something on the bed.

Rather than doing the normal thing she would do with Max and asking what was up, she sat down on the bed beside her best friend and looked at the thing she was staring at. It was the first magazine cover Max had been presented on, and Rachel was the model who had been immortalised upon it. Max really could capture the fire behind Rachel's hazel eyes now, the artwork was almost alive with Rachel's beauty.

"I... fucked up didn't I?" Rachel said sadly.

"A little bit." Chloe said, putting an arm around the blonde who happily leaned into her

"Great..." Rachel sniffed. "This was our third shoot together." She indicated the magazine cover. "They loved her work so much she was already getting cover jobs."

"And they loved you so much that you were the model they selected." Chloe smiled. "You both make a good team."

"She doesn't know when to shut up about the past." Rachel said quietly. "She... loves telling me how I've fucked up."

"No she doesn't Rach." Chloe said, rubbing the blonde's shoulder comfortingly.

"Yes she does. She has to tell me all of those other timeline stories..."

"Because they happened to her Rach. That's the gift and curse to her powers. She remembers all this shit, she has those memories and feelings. But she won't remember the whole of September with us, she gave that up to save you." Chloe explained sadly. "And some of them happened to me too."

"In the hospital, right?" Rachel asked.

"I saw her lying in that bed... and it tore out my heart Rach. If she hadn't come back to me, you'd both be gone. I'd be alone, and I can't take that again."

"But why always tell me how much I'm fucking up? Why always make me feel worse?"

"We're the only people she can share it with." Chloe whispered. "She just... wants us to understand."

"But every single day?"

"It's been a rough week." Chloe shrugged. "She's gone through this kind of week before, with the tornado."

"I remember her story." Rachel nodded. "But we can't keep living in the past Chloe. We need to move forwards."

"Max knows that. If you noticed... she hasn't once asked about the memories she's missing since we got to LA. She's moved on, she wants a future." Chloe grinned and squeezed Rachel into her side playfully. "She's trying to look after you."

"I guess." Rachel admitted, running her hand over the cover and smiling at it. "She really does have a great eye."

"And she's your best friend... how fucking awesome is that?" Chloe grinned.

"Hella awesome."

They sat in silence for a while, comfortable in each other's company. Chloe would sit with the blonde for as long as it took to help her, she would always provide that supportive shoulder to the girl she cared so much about.

Finally Chloe decidedto say something, to try to get Rachel to fix her own relationship with Max. "You know... she's alone downstairs right now feeling miserable." Chloe said softly. "Maybe... you could go and cheer her up?"

"Will she even let me after what I just said to her?" Rachel whispered sadly.

"Yeah, because she fucking adores you."

Rachel gave Chloe a quick kiss on the cheek and was the first to jump off the bed. It seemed to Chloe that she had managed to dispel Rachel's current dark mood, but it wasn't always this easy to get her out of them. She followed the blonde back downstairs, where she saw Rachel and Max in a tight hug, talking very quietly together. Rather than interrupt the two girls she sat on the stairs and waited, watching the small gestures Max would make, the more extravagant ones Rachel made when she was trying too hard. Max stroked the purple highlight out of Rachel's hair as they talked, which eventually culminated in another bodily hug.

"Stop sitting around watching us you perv!" Rachel said, turning to look at Chloe with her hands on her hips. "We may look good together, but you two look better!"

Max laughed and pushed Rachel playfully. "She's just making sure you're not trying to seduce me."

"Max is right, I have to snoop every now and then." Chloe laughed, standing back up and going down the stairs to hug her two girls. "Have you two sorted it?"

"Kind of." Rachel smiled. "We've agreed to... spend a day without stressing out over things we can't control anymore."

Chloe nodded, understanding they meant the fire. While Rachel may have empowered it, they were washing their hands of the Jefferson situation and moving on with their lives. "You sure?"

"Positive." Max answered. "That shit is not worth losing each other over."

"If... they haven't got it under control in a day..." Rachel started to say.

"We'll fix it, new plan." Max agreed. "But tonight... we're relaxing, no timer, no pressure."

"So who's going to cook tonight?" Chloe said, eyeing up the two of them, expecting it would be her.

"None of us... we're getting take out!" Rachel grinned happily.

* * *

Despite their earlier conversation, Chloe could see how it had upset Max even after she thought things were resolved. The brunette was less outgoing, choosing to remain quiet and in Chloe's arms instead of engaging entirely in conversations. Max's responses were upbeat and she would smile and laugh when Rachel told a joke or poked fun at Chloe, but afterwards she would return to her silence, watching whatever movie they'd put on the TV to pass the time of day. Rachel didn't seem to notice, she was the complete opposite to Max, telling jokes, having fun and being the girl Chloe had spent so much time with in Arcadia.

"We should go to the beach on a day off." Rachel said as she stood up to stretch. "We could lounge around in the sun, watch some hot guys... and gals..." She winked. "Meet some new people, take some awesome pictures. What do you think?"

"Sounds good to me!" Chloe answered enthusiastically. "What do you think Max? Day out?"

"Sounds great." Max smiled, sounding enthusiastic but her eyes were devoid of the usual emotion her blue eyes could portray. It was worrying Chloe.

The evening wore on but Max's mood persisted. Rachel disappeared into the kitchen for a moment, giving Chloe time to try to check on Max without the blonde in the room.

"What's up?" She asked, gently running a finger up Max's exposed arm.

"Nothing." Max lied, then opened her mouth to apologise but Chloe gently placed a finger to her lips. A knowing look in the blunette's blue eyes that silenced Max.

"We're out of milk!" Rachel shouted from the kitchen.

"We'll get it!" Chloe called back. "Come on." She said gently to Max.

The brunette got off her reluctantly and started pulling on her shoes while Chloe pulled on her boots and jacket.

"We're also out of cookies." Rachel said, leaning in the doorway. "The cookie monster has been raiding our stash." She smiled at Max, who smiled weakly back.

"We'll get it, you can chill out, keep the couch warm for us." Chloe grinned, taking her truck keys out of the bowl.

"You sure? I don't mind coming with you?" Rachel looked between the two girls.

"I'd like time to... ya know..." Chloe winked teasingly.

"Oh I see." Rachel smirked. "Don't let me stop you two love birds then."

Chloe passed Max her jacket and camera bag then took the brunette's hand, gently guiding her out of their home towards Chloe's rusty truck. Max sat against the passenger door as Chloe started the engine, her eyes still lacking the emotional depth Chloe lost herself in whenever they made love. She had to find out what was going on in the girl's mind, she had to find a way to help her. Rather than heading towards the local shops, Chloe started driving towards Santa Monica, intent on finding a place they could sit down with an awesome view and talk. To get whatever was on Max's mind out and between them so Chloe could help her girlfriend.

Halfway through the journey Chloe received a text from Rachel, asking where they were, but she quickly sent a response back telling her they were tied up together. She hoped Rachel would get the message and let them have some peace for a short while. When they reached the parking lot for the Santa Monica Pier, Max didn't look so depressed. She'd started to come out of her shell after the text but Chloe knew she was going to have to pry the girl out of it entirely.

Chloe got out of the truck and climbed into the truck's bed to sit down, smiling happily when the brunette got the message and joined her, looking out towards the setting sun.

"The golden hour." Chloe said, nudging Max in the side. "See, I do listen."

Max smiled, taking one of Chloe's arms and wrapping it around her so she could snuggle in. "I know you do."

"So what's on your mind SuperMax?" Chloe asked, leaning into her girlfriend as they watched the sun on the horizon.

"Do I talk about the past too much?" Max asked quietly. "Do I keep repeating old timelines?"

"I don't think so." Chloe answered honestly. "I think... you try to connect things with what you know, so you can understand them."

"But I really upset her today. It's never been me to upset her like that." Max said as she started playing with the zip on Chloe's jacket.

"I've upset her too. I told you about that." Chloe replied, watching the girl she loved.

"But this is... different." Max argued quietly.

"How? How is it any different?" Chloe said, not unkindly but more playfully. "Rachel is a... multifaceted dragon." She laughed, remembering something Samuel had said. "But she cares about you Max... she was looking at one of your cover pieces when we talked."

"I care about her too Chloe, or I wouldn't have made so many changes to the timeline so quickly... so... stupidly." Max said, looking at Chloe with sad eyes. The emotions were back in those beautiful sapphire eyes. It wasn't the emotion Chloe wanted to see, but at least Max wasn't bottling her emotions anymore.

"You did the best you could, you fixed it and we're all together again." Chloe whispered, gently stroking Max's cheek. "Don't shut her out because she has one of her meltdowns, if she can't be herself with you as well... we're going to losing one another."

"She has to be able to feel." Max nodded.

"Exactly. Just like you and I need to be able to fight too." She kissed Max's nose, causing the girl to smile.

"Do we ever fight?" Max asked, moving up Chloe's body so their heads were closer together.

"Only when you eat the last cookie... or use my toothbrush." Chloe grinned, feeling Max's warm breath on her lips.

"This whole week has just been... so strange." Max whispered.

"Again." Chloe chuckled quietly. "But we have each other." She added happily.

"Mhm." Max said, flicking Chloe's zip once more and placing her hand on her chest. "I don't want to go into work tomorrow... I want more time with you."

"We have our whole lives Max."

"Chloe..." The brunette looked into her eyes, a piercing gaze she loved to see.

"What?"

"You'll never leave me... will you?"

"Never. I'm with you forever Max, I can't imagine my life without you." She answered with all the certainty she had. Those weeks, whether they now happened or not, had confirmed just how much she wanted to be with the petite girl, to wake up every morning and see her blue eyes.

"Promise?" Max asked.

Chloe realised just why she was asking. The nightmare last night was still on her mind, as well as everything that had happened over the last week. "Max, I will never leave you. I promise you. You're stuck with me." She smiled. "If you don't believe what I'm saying, then marry me." The words surprised her, she'd had no intention of asking tonight, and especially not without a ring.

"What?" Max said, surprised

"I said..." She swallowed, wondering if she should repeat herself. She carried on. "If you don't believe what I'm saying then... marry me." She said it again, but she was now afraid the brunette would say no, would refuse this sudden proposal that was so poorly timed and executed.

"You mean it?" Max asked, leaning back to look into Chloe's eyes.

"I mean it. I said it didn't I? Marry me you dork!" She laughed.

"Chloe... I..."

"Is that a no?" Her heart was hammering, she was trying to brush it aside with humour but she knew how bad this was sounding.

"No... fuck... uhm..." Max looked around, the shock evident on her sweet face.

"Max Caulfield, I asked you a question... Will. You. Marry. Me?" Chloe said, sounding a little more forceful but a smile still spread across her face.

"Yes. Yes I fucking will!" Max squealed, launching herself onto Chloe's lap and kissing her.

Ever since that first night together, that first night Max had given herself to Chloe, she had known what kind of future she had wanted with Max. It wasn't a big car, to be rich, or a big house, it was to be with Max, to just have Max in her life. Now she'd managed to ask the question she had first regret not asking after seeing the love of her life in the hospital bed, afraid she would never wake up from her coma. Ever since then she'd been afraid of losing the brunette, waking up and finding her gone. Every moment with the girl was important to Chloe, every single moment needed savouring. Every kiss she tasted was enjoyed. She had no idea how Max felt during those moments, but for Chloe... they were all she ever wanted, all she ever needed to keep going forward in life.

* * *

They lay in the back of the truck, the one blanket Chloe kept in her truck pulled over them as the sun settled beyond the horizon and the stars above were permitted to shine down upon them. Chloe's heart was racing as the brunette kissed her neck sweetly, teasing her after the time they'd spent making out after Chloe's surprise proposal. The dark mood that had plagued Max had lightened considerably, allowing Chloe to see the happiness in Max's blue eyes. The brunette was alive again, she was almost glowing and it made her so glad to be the source of her fiancée's joy.

"You need to get me a ring." Max whispered as her lips brushed gently across Chloe's exposed collarbone. Her jacket had long ago been discarded to the bottom of the truck bed.

"I think we both need rings." Chloe smirked, taking hold of Max's left hand in her right and appreciating the girls smaller fingers.

"Oh... so we're going to wear something else matching?"

"Well you refuse to dye your hair or get a tattoo so..." Chloe muttered jokingly.

"I have not refused to get a tattoo, you just haven't managed to persuade me properly." The brunette retorted, playing with Chloe's blue hair. "And I think you should go back to being a strawberry blonde." She grinned, looking into her eyes. Chloe knew where this line of conversation would go, Max would always pull it when she wanted to tease Chloe about hair colour.

"Okay okay... you win already BatMax. We're not playing the hair dye game tonight." Chloe laughed, gently rolling Max onto her back and lying on top of her, naturally slipping between the brunette's parted legs.

"Thank you." Max smirked, both of her hands now in Chloe's hair, playing with her locks.

"I'll get you a ring." The blunette whispered, gently kissing Max's nose. "And then we'll tell Rach. But not before."

Max nodded her consent. "I can live with that."

"Good... because if we don't go home soon, she's going to be pissed in the morning."

"And I'll have to work with her..." Max groaned. "Okay... home it is." She kissed Chloe on the lips once more, but they wouldn't stop until Chloe got another text from the impatient blonde.

* * *

After quickly buying milk and cookies like they had gone out to do they returned home. As Chloe had expected Rachel was lying on the couch, a movie on the tv but she looked fairly chilled out, considering her earlier mood swing.

"Took you long enough." Rachel said as they slipped off their jackets and kicked off their shoes.

"We got caught up." Chloe grinned, nudging Max in the side.

"Uh-huh, was our blue punk corrupting you further Max?" Rachel smirked, looking at the brunette who was moving around the couch to sit down.

"Oh so much. In a public place of all things!" Max grinned at Chloe.

Chloe laughed as Rachel reached up and pulled Max down into a cuddle. "Careful Max, you're in trouble now." She took the milk into the kitchen, listening to the laughter from the two girls in the living room.

It seemed Rachel was out of her dark mood for now, and Max had recovered from her own. They sounded just like they had done coming down from Seattle, laughing and joking. It always made Chloe so happy to see her best friend and now fiancée getting along, like nothing could come between them all. She returned to the living room and pulled Max up from her hug with Rachel.

"Hey! I was enjoying time traveler hugs." Rachel pouted playfully.

"Well I need the time traveler upstairs..." Chloe winked. "Plus you two are on a shoot tomorrow."

"She's right." Max agreed quietly. "We have an early start, and I want you looking at your best." The brunette put her hands out to help Rachel up, who took the offer and stood up.

"No rest for the wicked." Rachel muttered. "When do we have a day off?"

"The day after... which I'm assuming means a party tomorrow night." Max said, gently leading Chloe towards the stairs who was more than willing to follow her.

"Oh I like parties." Rachel said from behind Chloe, wrapping her arms around the punks waist before they ascended the stairs after Max. "Are you both going to be coming?"

"I think a party would be good." Chloe shrugged as Rachel let her go. "What do you think Max?"

"Depends who's hosting it. We're all underage." Max said, leaning against their bedroom door as Chloe reached the top of the stairs.

"Pfft, like that's ever stopped us before." Chloe laughed, wrapping Max in her arms.

"Exactly. It'll probably be Vienne. She's pretty laid back about letting us drink, and she has an awesome home." Rachel added, leaning against her own bedroom door while they still talked.

"Then we'll go, have a good time. Release some of this..." Max smiled.

"Tension." Rachel finished. "It's a great idea! We won't have to think about that fucking fire."

"You don't want to explore your..."

Max was quickly cut off by Rachel who shook her head. "No. I don't even want to test it. I'd rather..."

"It's fine." Max said, this time silencing Rachel. "Would you... like to..."

Chloe smirked and nudged Max. "She's wondering if you want to be alone tonight, despite the fact I want to take her to bed and rip her clothes off."

Rachel laughed at Chloe's blunt invitation and shook her head. "No no. You... rip her clothes off Price. She looks like she needs some...personal touches?" The blonde winked. Max had started to blush again. "Still so fucking cute Max."

"Don't need to tell me twice." Chloe grinned, opening their bedroom door and gently pushing Max inside.

"Night love birds" Rachel called out as Chloe kicked the door closed behind her.

"Rip my clothes off huh?" Max grinned.

"After what we were doing by the pier? Oh yes." Chloe grinned, lifting Max off her feet and dropping her on their bed.

"Good." Max smiled happily as Chloe lay on top of her, their lips almost touching. "I love you." She whispered.

"I love you too." Chloe responded, feeling her heart beating heavily against her chest. These were the moments she loved the most.

* * *

Chloe woke early the next morning, though not before Max was already out of bed and in the shower. Max was a creature of habit on her work days, she would always be up before Chloe and she would never wake her. Then she would be the first into their shower, once or twice in the past Chloe had surprised her and delayed them, annoying Max a little. It was totally worth it though.

She looked at the chair in their room and spotted the clothes Max would be wearing that day and it made Chloe smile, everything had its place when that girl was getting ready. Listening to the flow of water Chloe relaxed in bed, taking in the sounds of the early morning in a busy household. She could hear the other bathroom shower also running, which meant Rachel was up as well. Both of her girls were busy getting ready for the day ahead and she was the glorified driver. She would be allowed to watch, she could have a laugh with the models and other crew members, but for the most part she had nothing else to do while they worked.

It reminded her of Arcadia Bay, when Rachel would be in school all day and she had nothing to do. She'd mess around in the junkyard while she waited for her friend to leave school, sometimes doing an odd job for Frank to pay off a debt, usually a job that didn't include selling or distributing his drugs.

_Frank... you fucking asshole. You looked me right in the eye while you were banging my best friend and never said a thing. You must have found it so fucking funny._ She was thinking back to all those times she'd bought drugs from him. It was still a tough thing to take in, despite Max's silver tongue to persuade them to bury the hatchet. She knew she shouldn't be angry, there'd been something between them for a while and deep down she'd known it, but to hear it first hand had been devastating.

There was a soft knock on the bedroom door, pulling her from her thoughts. She pulled the covers up around her chest quickly, she wasn't exactly prepared for a visitor.

"What's up?" She called out, the door slowly opened and Rachel stepped in, wrapped in a towel with her wet hair down her neck but also carrying her laptop.

"We have a... problem." Rachel whispered, sitting on the bed carefully and showing Chloe the screen.

Chloe read the headline and her eyes went wide. "Twenty fucking grand?" She almost shouted.

"That's how much we've stolen." Rachel looked as worried as Chloe felt. Once Max found out how much she'd taken from the ATMs she'd have a fit. "But it gets worse... people have been fired for it."

"You're joking, right?" Chloe said, scanning the article for the mention of job losses.

"No... mishandling money." Rachel replied, closing the laptop as Max entered the bedroom, her own towel around her chest.

"Morning Rach." The brunette said with a smile.

"Morning Max..." Rachel looked at Chloe, the worry evident in her hazel eyes. It was just another problem on top of the fire at the warehouses.

"Everything okay?" Max asked, toweling her hair.

"I'll tell her... you go and get ready." Chloe said with a gentle nod.

"Thanks." Rachel got up and left the two of them alone, taking her laptop with her.

Max looked at Chloe curiously. "What's going on?"

"We need to stop doing the ATM trick." Chloe said. "It's... started attracting attention. And we always said we'd stop soon, right?"

"Thank fuck!" Max smiled. "I didn't know how to bring that up. But... how much attention?"

Chloe bit her lip, wondering how to tell her. "Don't freak out, okay?"

"Okay?" Max sat on the edge of the bed.

"People have lost their jobs... for mishandling money." Chloe said quietly.

"What? How many? How much money?" Max demanded, making Chloe wince.

"Twenty thousand dollars... and only a handful of people." She watched sadly as Max looked at her in shock and evident pain.

"Fuck." Max whispered. "Fuck." She said again. Chloe could see it coming and quickly pulled the girl into a tight embrace before she could start yelling or crying.

"It's okay. We didn't... realise, okay? You can't blame yourself." Chloe quickly said, trying to smother the pain she was sure the girl was already feeling.

"I..." Max started to say but went quiet, just resting in Chloe's arms, her head on her chest. "No more ATMs." The brunette said quietly.

"We'll get by without, you're a professional photographer now." Chloe whispered, trying to reassure the girl.

* * *

Max's mood didn't improve through the morning. She felt terrible, at a complete loss for words. After such an amazing night with Chloe, who'd proposed to her and rocked her world again that night, she felt worse than ever. People had lost their jobs because of her, they had stolen thousands of dollars rather than just using her powers to just get by. She got dressed in silence, her normal excitement to be on a shoot had been destroyed by the news of what she had done. But she couldn't take another day off, they needed the money now more than ever, and she intended to try to pay the debt back in some way.

Chloe gave her an encompassing hug when she got out of her shower, making Max's lips wet when they kissed. It was the only good thing about her day, knowing her future with Chloe was set. She tried to take solace in that fact everytime her dark thoughts would intrude, thinking of the day she would say 'I do' to the girl she loved more than anything in the world. She gave her lover another kiss on the lips before she left their bedroom, but Chloe took hold of her hand to stop her leaving.

"Before we go to the party tonight... shall we get our rings?" Chloe asked quietly. Max looked down at the half naked body of her fiancée before answering. "Perv." The blunette whispered.

"If we have the money... sure." Max said sadly. "But..."

"No buts." Chloe said forcefully. "We need rings. Even if we have to go hungry for a month." Max smiled as her punk wrapped her in her arms, pressing their bodies together. "I'm marrying you Max, that fact hasn't changed."

"I'd like that." She whispered, resting her head against Chloe's chest and listening to her heartbeat. "Especially after..."

"I know." Chloe said, rubbing her back trying to comfort her. Max couldn't help but appreciate the small gesture.

"Come on... or we'll be late to work." Max reluctantly released her partner. "If we're not too drunk tonight... maybe I can return you to that state." She smirked, trying to sound more upbeat. There was nothing she could do right now about the fire or the ATMs, she could only move forwards or be trapped in the past.

"Not to sound too pervy or anything... but I hope you can return me to further than this state." Chloe winked.


	17. New Faces, Old Flames

They were working in a studio apartment that day, with loads of space for Max to work with the four models she had. A second apartment had also been rented across the hall, where a make up and dress team were already setting up their things. Chloe quickly dodged into the kitchen to stay out of people's way, content to just watch her two girls work.

"Hey Chloe." A dark haired woman said as she passed by the kitchen.

"Hey Vienne." Chloe answered. It was the woman in charge of the shoot.

She was lovely, content to let Max take over where she wanted so she could just work. At least that was what Chloe had seen over the months of observing the woman and her girl. Max was back in her element, and it showed with how energetic she could be when on set. The shyness the girl would show in social situations wasn't absent here, she was alive and giving quiet instruction. Max never needed to raise her voice, which showed just how much respect she had earned from the crew around them.

"The new girl's running late." Chloe heard Vienne telling Max. "Will you be okay with three for now?"

"Yeah, no problem. Why's she late?" Max asked, leaning against the dividing counter near to Chloe.

"Got lost on the way here." Vienne shrugged with a smile. "I'll be in the other room, doing the part of the job you don't like." She laughed, patting Max on the shoulder.

"There's a part you don't like?" Chloe whispered in Max's ear.

"Yeah... dressing them up." Max grinned. "Vienne knows what we want, I just pose them and take the shot."

"Give me that job... I can do it." Chloe smirked.

"That's dangerous." Max sniggered, grabbing Chloe's hand and leading her around the counter. "They've got this, let's go and see Rachel."

The other apartment was far busier than the first. Rachel was sat at the black kitchen counter, an array of cosmetic items laid out before her as one of the make up artists worked on her. Vienne was in the far corner of the living room looking at a number of the clothes they had, talking to one of the assistants. It was all hands on deck and it was only the start of the day.

"How's it going?" Chloe asked playfully, sitting on the stool beside Rachel.

"Oh no... who let you in?" The female make up artist grinned.

"Oh you know me... I bribed the security." Chloe laughed, which also made Rachel snigger.

"Sit still, or we have to start over." The artist growled, holding Rachel's chin a little more forcefully.

"It's her fault." Rachel said, nudging Chloe in the side.

"Don't upset my make up artists Chloe, they'll only tell me not to bring you along next time." Max said, putting her hands on Chloe's shoulders and kissing the back of her head.

"Didn't we tell you that last time?" A male artist grinned as another model sat beside Chloe, taking the last available stool.

"I recall something of it? I'm not sure." Max smiled.

"So is Chloe joining you today?" The man asked, opening up his cosmetic kit on the counter.

"I am definitely not." Chloe answered. "You always ask that."

"We're always hoping you'll say yes." The female artist smirked, turning Rachel's face gently.

"She'll join us one day." The other model said, winking at Chloe as her head was turned to the side. "She's too hot to resist."

"Hands off." Max said possessively. "If my girlfriend says no, she's said no." Then added quietly "I'll take pics of her later for you."

"Max!" Chloe laughed, trying to turn around without knocking the girls either side of her but unable to do so.

"You're stuck til we're done now Chloe." Rachel said, sitting as still as possible.

Max squeezed Chloe's shoulders gently and wandered back towards Vienne, leaving Chloe free to escape from between the two models. The third model took her seat with a soft smile. Chloe decided to take the time to explore the apartments, checking out the size of the bathroom that was the only other room. It was somewhere she could have seen her and Max living had it just been the two of them. Small and simple, loads of space to lounge around without being in a different room to one another.

"Come on." Max said, taking her hand. "They need to change and you're an intimidating person."

"I am not!" Chloe protested playfully.

"See you later Chloe." The models all said with a laugh, including Rachel.

Returning to the previous apartment, Chloe resumed her place in the kitchen and watched her fiancée checking all the equipment, including her cameras.

"It felt weird saying girlfriend again." Max said quietly.

"Not long and it'll feel weirder saying fiancée." Chloe smirked, putting her arms around Max's waist and her head on her shoulder, watching her small fingers work.

"You won't be bored today?" Max asked, squeezing one of Chloe's hands.

"I'm never bored when I'm with you. I get to watch and be with you both, and I get to talk to all the models." Chloe smiled, kissing Max on the neck gently.

They spent a few minutes holding one another while they waited for the models to be ready. Max was efficient when it came to checking all of her equipment for the shoot and making sure the set was ready. Vienne had done her fair share of the job before they'd arrived, but Max had her own way and it worked for her. They wouldn't keep using her photographs for cover art otherwise.

When the shoot finally started Chloe stayed out of the way in the kitchen, watching Max in action capturing different shots and angles, being bossy when she had to be without sounding like she was. Rachel kept winking or smiling at Chloe when she got a chance, posing with the other models or alone. They were lost in their elements, their individual issues held at bay by the enjoyment they found themselves in.

While Max was checking recent photographs she was taking on her digital camera Vienne entered the apartment, asking if Max had enough for them to go to lunch. The brunette nodded her agreement and sat down beside Chloe in the kitchen, still flicking through her pictures.

"Where shall we go for lunch?" Rachel asked, leaning on the counter in front of Chloe.

"Something easy?" Max asked, looking up for a moment.

"Sandwich shop then?" Rachel was looking at the current photo on the camera. "Oh I like that one." She grinned.

"Sandwiches it is." Chloe nodded.

"I'll be back in a minute then." Rachel said, kissing both Chloe and Max on the cheeks.

"Give me a minute to talk to Vienne?" Max looked at Chloe, worry on her sweet features.

"Something up?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah... may need more time, and to do more shots tonight, different lighting." Max explained, sliding off the stool.

"I'll be here." Chloe smiled, watching her girl leave the apartment.

She looked around the apartment, noticing how quiet it was without the snap of Max's camera or the laughs of the models as they had fun with their job.

"Excuse me?" A voice said from the doorway, making Chloe spin round to look.

"What's up?" Chloe asked curiously, she hadn't seen this girl before.

"I'm looking for the photography shoot... I'm a little lost." The girl grimaced.

"This is it, you must be the new girl?" She turned in her chair to look at the girl properly. The girl's black hair was highlighted with red, but Chloe found herself drawn to her emerald green eyes, a complete contrast to the dark colours she wore.

"I'm Jessica Williams, you must be Vienne?" The girl said, approaching with a hand outstretched to shake Chloe's.

She couldn't help but laugh and shake her head. "I'm not Vienne, she's in the other apartment at the moment. I'm Chloe." She shook the proffered hand all the same. "You may want to check in with them."

"Sorry, I'm really new at this." Jessica said, pulling another face at her mistake. "I look forward to working with you though." She said, obviously trying to undo her error.

"I don't work on the shoot." Chloe corrected her politely. "I'm just... Max's girlfriend."

"Max Caulfield? The photographer?" Jessica asked.

"That's me?" Max said, standing in the doorway behind the girl. Chloe was trying hard not to laugh at the poor girl's luck right now.

"Er... shit, hi I'm Jessica Williams, newbie and soon to be fired probably." The girl laughed awkwardly.

"It's okay. You should have seen me on my first day." Max smiled politely. "Follow me, I'll take you to Vienne."

"Thank you." Jessica said, following Max out of the apartment. "Uhm... see you later Chloe?" She said quickly over her shoulder.

"Oh no doubt." Chloe grinned.

When Max and Rachel finally rejoined Chloe they quickly set off for find the nearest sandwich shop. It was just down the street so they walked instead of drove. Chloe kept a tight hand on Max's while they worked, laughing along with Rachel's jokes while poking fun at some of the blonde's poses. Despite the news at the start of the day, the first half had seemed to go okay. Rachel was in good spirits, Max was laughing along. Chloe hoped it would stay that way, she wanted the peace and quiet after the last week of chaos and mayhem.

* * *

Max was a little nervous about working with somebody new, she'd worked with all of the other models before and she knew how to get the best out of them, but Jessica was new and she hadn't quite got her figured out. Unfortunately for the young model she was thrown in at the deep end, Max wanted to get some of the more risqué shots on the bed out of the way and those were what she had intended to take next. Rachel was once again on form, covering her modesty elegantly and suggestively, smirking and winking at Max every once in a while to get a reaction out of Chloe, who seemed to be doing her best to ignore them. When Jessica joined her Rachel took the time to try to get the girl to relax.

"Max..." Rachel said, holding her shirt closed across her chest. "Can we... cut down on the observers? Give her chance to..."

"Yeah." Max nodded, understanding what Rachel was saying. She turned to Chloe, who was already standing up.

"If you're not needed in the shot, out you go." Chloe grinned. "Including you Vienne."

"Who let you in again?" Vienne asked playfully as she passed Chloe, patting the punk's cheek.

"You did, and Max likes it when I do the bossing around."

"That she does." The woman laughed, leaving the door open behind her.

"You too Chloe." Max said, knowing her partner wanted to stay.

"Okay, okay." Chloe raised her hands in submission, starting towards the door.

"She can stay if she likes." Jessica said quietly. "She's your girlfriend right?" She said to Max.

"Yeah, but if you'd feel more comfortable for now without her, she won't mind." Max smiled. "She's used to being kicked out."

"Yep... and kicking myself out." Chloe said, shrugging her shoulders.

"She's fine... I'll have to get used to the others eventually too, right?" The girl said, running her hand over the left side of her head, the side she had shaved off to accentuate her punkish look.

"If Jessica says it's fine..." Max shrugged, eliciting a smile from Chloe who closed the door and leaned against it.

"Just go with it." Rachel smiled. "Max doesn't yell... and I don't bite." She smirked mischievously.

"Uh oh." Chloe whispered in Max's ear, having come over to give her a quick kiss.

"Uh oh indeed." Max agreed as Rachel sat back on the bed alongside Jessica, who looked tense and nervous still.

"Good luck." Chloe said, kissing the side of Max's head and leaning against the wall out of shot.

From nervous and tense the new girl became more relaxed and confident under the camera lens, showing Max just how photogenic and talented she was. She could match Rachel almost shot for shot. It was almost mesmerising to see two talented models working so well together with very little need for interaction from Max. It didn't take her long to get the shots she needed from the two girls, and was quickly able to allow the other models to enter and continue the rest of the shoot with all four of them. Vienne returned at one point and stood with Chloe, quietly talking to the punk who nodded or shook her head. Max couldn't hear the conversation but was glad she was being left to do her job.

When Max was satisfied with the work she called an end to the session, approaching Vienne to go over the photographs of the afternoon shoot. The woman took her time going through the various angles and poses, nodding her appreciation or exclaiming at really good photos. Max bit her bottom lip, waiting for the hammer to fall and tell her she needed to do it all again, but it never came. Vienne was once again impressed with her work.

"I wish you were with us the other day." The woman said, handing the camera back to Max. "We had to ask a new photographer to step in for you and DeSilvio was..."

"Stubborn?" Max said.

"Yeah."

"You should really fire him if he's causing so much trouble." Chloe interjected.

"Management likes him, he's photogenic and he sells it." Vienne said, shaking her head. "Max can at least burst his ego when she needs to."

Max couldn't help but smile at the compliment. "When you live with Chloe, you have to know how to handle people." She said playfully, getting a nudge from Chloe for the remark.

"I bet." Vienne smiled. "We're going to need more pictures though, after losing some time with Jessica this morning. Are you free tomorrow to come and finish off? You're supposed to have a day off."

"Can you get all the other models in too?" Max asked.

"They're already on board, I promised to move the party to tomorrow night and give them the day off afterwards instead."

"Then we're in."

"Yay party." Chloe said, putting an arm around Max's waist.

"I thought you might be the one to agree Chloe." Vienne smiled. "Okay, so see you both tomorrow." The woman said, giving Max a small hug before she left the two of them alone to wait for Rachel.

Max busied herself putting all of her equipment away at the kitchen counter once more, making sure it was all okay. Chloe continued to keep an arm around her waist, happily trading jokes with the other members of the team as they poked their heads in to say bye.

"Hey, Max?" Jessica said, sitting on the stool at the kitchen counter.

"What's up?" She replied, not looking up from what she was doing.

"I just wanted to apologise for being late. Car trouble, and then I got lost and then..." Jessica started to ramble.

"It's okay." Max said, looking into the girl's emerald green eyes and smiling. "Really, it's fine."

"Seriously, she's the most laid back photographer you could find." Rachel said, sitting alongside the girl. "How'd you get here if you're having car trouble?"

"I got in a taxi and spent my food money for the night." Jessica shrugged. "Living in LA with no job for two months, it catches up to ya in the end."

"Why not... come back with us? Eat our food tonight?" Rachel offered, looking to Max and Chloe for support. "You're working with us again tomorrow..." Max narrowed her eyes at the blonde, wondering just what she was up to.

"You sure?" Jessica asked, looking between the three girls. "I don't want to intrude or anything, you've only just met me."

"You've only just met me and we've had our hands all over each other's bodies." Rachel laughed. "Seriously, have dinner with us?"

Max shrugged her agreement and felt Chloe nod against her neck. Jessica smiled warmly at the two of them. "Alright, I'm in."

"You know my truck is only built for three, right?" Chloe said with a smirk.

"No. It's built for two Chloe. Max and I were sat on each other's laps to get here." Rachel said. "Though I wasn't complaining." She winked at Max who shook her head.

"How are we leaving then?" Jessica asked.

"I'll grab a cab with you." Rachel offered. "I'm paying, don't look so worried."

"Alright. We'll see you at home then." Max said, closing her camera bag.

Chloe and Max left the two girls chatting in the apartment, quickly saying goodbye to the people still working in the other room.

"Well that escalated quickly." Max said as they got into Chloe's truck outside.

"I'd say it was backwards. Groping each other for pictures then dinner?" The punk laughed.

"New city new friends, right?" Max smiled, leaning against the truck door.

"Only five months after moving here..."

"And after setting fire to a warehouse." Max added quietly.

* * *

Max and Chloe were the first to get back to the home, giving Max a chance to clean up their kitchen after they'd left it in a mess that morning. When she was done she found Chloe sprawled out on the couch with her eyes closed, her boots discarded by the front door and her feet up. Max decided to pounce her fiancée, jumping on top of her and planting a firm kiss on her lips.

"No sleeping." Max grinned, straddling her partners lap but keeping her hands on the punks shoulders.

"I wasn't sleeping." Chloe answered. "I was inspecting the back of my eyelids."

Max laughed at the punk's excuse and kissed her once more, thinking of the previous night and they fact they were now engaged even if they didn't have the rings yet. The front door opened and Rachel was already laughing at her two friends.

"Don't mind them, they keep forgetting somebody else lives here." Rachel said. Max could hear her kicking off her shoes by the front door.

"Sorry Jessica." Max said, sitting back off her fiancée as Chloe also sat up at the other end of the couch, a sheepish grin on both their faces.

"It's alright." The girl laughed. "And you can call me Jess." She said, following Rachel's lead and removing her boots from beneath her ripped jeans.

"Those are big boots." Chloe said. "You crush beetles with them?"

"Only when they get in my way." The girl grinned, standing by the front door.

"Come in, we don't bite." Max smiled, waving towards the chairs in the room.

"Would you like a drink?" Rachel asked politely, heading towards the kitchen.

Jessica sat in the chair closest to Chloe and Max and nodded to Rachel. "Yes please."

"Any preference? We have beer, wine, juice, and a lot of water..."

"A cold beer sounds awesome." Jessica said.

"Make that two." Chloe said, holding a hand in the air.

"Max, what about you?" Rachel said.

"Seeing as everybody else is already drinking... I'll have a glass of wine." Max said, rolling her eyes as Chloe smirked at her.

"Alright. Be right back." Rachel disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Jess with Max and Chloe.

"So... you both heard about that fire?" The girl said, obviously trying to make conversation.

"Have they managed to put it out yet?" Chloe asked as Max cuddled up to her.

"It's spread to a couple more warehouses, but they have it contained they say." Jessica said, pulling her right knee up to her chest. "Sucks if anybody was in there."

"Definitely." Max nodded, thinking of Mark Jefferson who had disappeared into the flames.

"Drinks..." Rachel said, returning from the kitchen with a tray and saving Max and Chloe from such an awkward conversation. Chloe, Rachel and Jessica all took their beer bottles, while Max was the only one with a wine glass.

"So where are you all from?" Jessica asked, looking between the three of them.

"Arcadia Bay." Chloe answered. "Shit hole of Oregon."

"The place that got hit by that tornado?" Jessica said. "Holy shit. Were you away at the time?"

Max looked at Chloe and Rachel, they'd never really expected or planned for such a question. "We were there." Rachel finally answered, sitting in the last available chair. "At the lighthouse when it hit."

"Oh my God." Jessica looked shocked. "I'm... so sorry. Did... you lose anybody you know?"

"A few friends." Max answered, squeezing Chloe's hand.

"My Mom survived, and my step-douche." Chloe said, returning Max's small gesture with a smile.

Jessica gave Chloe a quizzical look. "Step-douche?"

"Also commonly called the Step-Ladder." Rachel laughed before taking a drink of her beer.

"Oh you're not telling that joke again!" Chloe smirked.

Both Max and Jessica were looking at the two girls curiously, wanting to know the joke.

"Okay so... he's a step-ladder because he climbs on top of Chloe's Mom every night." Rachel continued laughing, joined by Max and Jessica.

"Thanks Rach." Chloe said, shaking her head.

"That is such a bad joke." Jessica smirked. "Funny, but so bad."

"Where are you from?" Max asked, returning them to the topic Jessica had chosen.

"I've lived in LA all my life. Finally struck out on my own at the start of the year and... almost had to go running back to my parents." She answered, taking a swig of her beer afterwards. "Luckily I got this job, or I'd be fucked."

"Do you like modeling?"

"Oh yeah, I love it." Jessica smiled. "I've been looking for a job like this for months but... I just couldn't get my pictures out there, I can't take a picture to save my life."

"I was lucky." Rachel said, pointing to Max. "I had my very own photographer."

"And an awesome one at that." Jessica added. "I've been checking out your pictures since they were published, they're incredible!"

"See Max? You have your own fanbase now." Chloe sniggered, poking Max in the side.

"I have an amazing model, it got me noticed." Max shrugged. "I guess I now have two awesome models, if you're going to be working with us in the future."

Jessica smiled at the compliment and nodded. "I'd hope so, you're all really nice and fun."

"And Chloe makes excellent meals." Rachel said.

Chloe took the hint. "So... what would you like to eat? Home made craptastic meal? Take out?"

"Chef's choice, I'm a guest." Jessica said, a palm out to admit submission.

"Anything you don't like? So I don't go making it?" Chloe asked.

"I'm good, no allergies, no preferences. I just... eat." Jessica laughed.

"Something tasty it is then." Rachel said as Chloe got up, leaving Max alone on the couch.

"You're actually lucky we're working tomorrow." Max said, sipping her wine and enjoying the taste.

"Oh? Why's that?" Jessica asked, looking at Max.

"If we weren't I'd be suggesting we play drinking games to get to know you better." Rachel nodded. "I did it to Max when she came back to Arcadia Bay."

"It's a shame we're working tomorrow then." Jessica grinned happily. "I wouldn't mind getting wasted one night and just chilling out."

"Instead of partying hard?" Rachel said, getting out of her chair and sitting with Max on the couch while Chloe was out of the room.

"Yeah. Don't get me wrong I love a good party!" The black and red haired girl said defensively. "But... sometimes getting to just sit back and enjoy a few beers with friends is better."

"Definitely going to have to agree there." The blonde nodded. "I can't be parted from my two best friends." She smiled, putting an arm around Max and giving her a hug.

"Rach! Give me a hand in here!" Chloe shouted through as a clattering could be heard from the kitchen.

Rachel sighed and put her beer on the coffee table. "Excuse me a moment." She smiled sweetly at Jess.

Max watched as Rachel left the room, leaving her with Jessica. Even after an afternoon session of seeing the girl almost in the nude, Max found it difficult being around a new person. She was still the shy girl at heart, confident in her own social mix with Chloe and Rachel, but without them she felt exposed. Jessica seemed almost as shy as Max, reluctant to ask another question while Rachel and Chloe weren't in the room. Max assumed it could be because Rachel had already been talking to the girl at length in the taxi on the way home.

"So... you three seem pretty close." The girl said, a smile hidden behind the lip of her beer bottle.

"We've been through a lot together." Max said quietly. "Chloe and I... she's the love of my life."

"That's so sweet. Did you know you were attracted to girls before...?"

"No." She answered quickly, blushing almost. "Absolutely no idea. What about you? Boyfriend? Girlfriend?"

"Boyfriend. I'm not into girls." Jess said, shaking her head. "I live with him actually."

"Is he alright with you hanging out with us?"

Jessica shrugged casually. "I haven't told him. He'll find out later."

"Food won't be much longer." Rachel said, returning from the kitchen and sitting back down beside Max. "So, where were we?" She smirked happily.

* * *

After a wonderful meal with a new friend and a cheerful goodbye at the door, Max and Rachel sat down on the couch while Chloe went into the kitchen to clean up her own explosive mess. Max had never realised just how much of a mess her partner could make when she was cooking. Rachel's thousand yard stare was back, she was looking out of the window into the distance, concerning Max once more. She placed a reassuring hand on the blonde's, who squeezed Max's hand gently.

"You can control your powers... do you think... I could control whatever I have?" She said, turning her whole body to look at Max.

"If you practise, I think? I have to activate mine." Max answered, turning to look at Rachel but keeping one hand on her wine glass.

"Mine are more... emotional." Rachel whispered, turning Max's left hand over to look at her palm. "Can you... try to teach me?"

"I don't know what I can teach Rach... it's a completely different power."

"We can at least try, right?"

"Of course we can." Max looked at Rachel's hazel eyes, noticing a distant fire behind them.

"Max... I wanted to kill Jefferson. I... didn't want him coming after us again." The blonde admittedly quietly. "I did it... for you. To save you from having to do it."

"You controlled the fire?"

"I... felt it, I wanted him gone, I wanted him to burn and..."

"He did." Max nodded, understanding the pain Rachel must have been feeling. Rachel had decided to kill one person, Max had allowed dozens more to die in a tornado instead. "I should have been the one to protect you. I failed you Rach."

"No Max." Rachel argued, taking Max's glass from her and placing it on the coffee table. "You saved me." She wrapped the brunette in her arms and kissed her cheek. "I will always owe you my life, and I will never let you go through that shit alone."

"Everything okay?" Chloe asked as she entered the living room.

"Having a heart to heart." Rachel smiled, pulling Max over to her side so Chloe could sit behind her partner.

Max felt Chloe's arms slip around her waist, her chin once more on her shoulder. "You okay babe?" The blunette asked quietly.

"I am now." She smiled weakly, keeping her arms around Rachel. "I don't want to go through another week without either of you again."

"You won't." Rachel said. "After seeing the shit in that warehouse... the fucker deserves to burn for what he would have done to us."

After a short amount of time they finally retired up to bed, they had another early start in the morning thanks to Jessica being late, but Max was glad to have met the girl. She was down to earth and fun to be around, Rachel had certainly taken to her. Chloe had told Max that Rachel could talk to anybody though, like the social chameleon she was and not to read anything into it.

* * *

Jess got out of the cab outside her apartment block, handing the driver the cash the three girls had given her to get home safely. She pulled her shirt around her tightly and went inside, listening to the yells of kids and adults alike. She took out her key and opened the door to her apartment, where she was met with the shouting of her boyfriend who was once more playing a video game.

"I'm home." She said quietly, hoping he wouldn't hear her as she went into their bedroom.

She heard the game pause and his rough features appeared around the bedroom doorway. "Where've you been?" He asked calmly, fiddling with the controller in his hands.

"Went for a meal with a model and her friends. All girls." She smiled weakly.

"Alright then." He nodded before going back to his game. "You should bring them over one time." He shouted before she heard the game resume.

"Not likely." She muttered, stripping out of her clothes and getting into bed.


	18. Party Hard!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need to issue a polite forewarning, at the request of my proof reader, for darker sexual content ahead. It is not graphical, but I am respecting their wishes about how it made them feel.

The second day of the shoot went flawlessly. Once more Rachel and Jessica showed how talented they were, almost competing to outshine the other. Rachel seemed to be taking it as a joke, happily playing along with the new girl. Max found herself wishing she could work with just the two girls in the future, as they were truly captivating. At the end of the day they finally persuaded Chloe to join them for a few photos, taken by Vienne who even pushed Max into the frame. It was the perfect end, but their day wasn't over.

"Could I get a ride?" Jess asked, leaning against the kitchen counter beside Max and Chloe. She had already changed back into her normal clothes, though this time with a white t-shirt under a plain red shirt.

"You're lucky we came in Rach's car today." Chloe answered with a smile. "Of course you can."

"Thanks."

"You wanting a ride home or...?"

"Well... I was planning to go to the party tonight and I don't need to change. But if you had other plans I wouldn't mind you dropping me somewhere?" Jess answered, a weak smile on her lips.

"We're going too." Max nodded. "You can hang with us for a bit before we go if you like?"

"Fucking awesome, thank you."

"Not wanting to go home?" Chloe asked, crossing her arms.

"No point really, plus the company of friends."

"You coming home with us?" Rachel asked as she entered the apartment, also wearing her normal clothes once more.

"If you'll have me?" Jessica grinned. "I'd already asked for a ride."

Rachel looked to Chloe, a question already on her lips which Max quickly stopped. "We already said yes. She's more than welcome."

"Good." The blonde laughed, taking Jessica's hand. "Come on, we need to go!"

Max and Chloe followed after the two laughing girls, but Chloe's grip on Max's hand was tighter than usual. She pulled Chloe back to slow her down and make some distance between them and Rachel.

"What's wrong?" She asked quietly.

"Nothing." Chloe lied, but Max could tell. She'd become used to Chloe's poor attempts at lying to her.

"Chloe..."

"I just... feel like we're being replaced. New girl and she's wanting to spend more time with her than us." Chloe finally answered.

"Oh... are you getting jealous?" Max said with a grin.

"Fuck no... no." Chloe looked away nervously, but Max could see the red in her cheeks.

"You are." She tried not to laugh and make her partner more uncomfortable. "You don't need to worry about losing your best friend to a new thing." Max said, squeezing Chloe's hand. "She has a boyfriend, and she's straight."

"That wasn't what..."

"Shh." Max said as they got closer to the two girls waiting at Rachel's car.

"Wow you two are slow today." Rachel said, opening the driver's door. "You're normally right behind me."

"You're not usually taking off with somebody else." Chloe retorted. Rachel didn't notice the tone of Chloe's voice, but Max did. It confirmed what she'd been thinking, she'd have to help Chloe let Rachel go a bit.

* * *

When they got home Max dragged Chloe upstairs to laughter from Rachel who had made a rude joke about what they were about to get up to. Chloe had played along, telling them to turn the music up if they had to, but Max had merely blushed when Jessica looked at her with a twinkle in her green eyes. She pushed her fiancée into the bedroom and had just closed the door when Chloe burst into a quiet rant.

"It's not like I don't like her. She's really sweet, she's hot as fuck too..." Max shot her partner a curious glance at such an admittance, but Chloe continued. "But why's Rachel all over her all of a sudden?"

"She's a distraction." Max answered as she looked through her wardrobe for a different shirt.

"What?" Chloe said. Max heard the bounce of the bed as her partner threw herself down upon it.

"Rach is... struggling with all the shit with the fire, and Jeffershit, and the three of us." Max said, getting all deductive once more. "So she's distracting herself, so she doesn't have to think about it."

"Shit Max... you been taking psychology One-oh-one?"

"When you spend enough time just watching her, you start to understand." She pulled out her blue butterfly shirt and smiled. "I'm wearing this." She showed it to Chloe who nodded her approval.

"So she finds new people to... distract herself?" Chloe asked, keeping them on topic.

"New anything. As long as it can keep her attention."

"That makes sense I guess." Max pulled off her shirt and felt Chloe's arms wrap around her bare waist. She hadn't heard the girl get off the bed.

"We have a guest." Max said quietly as Chloe's lips found her neck, kissing gently up to her ear.

"I'm giving you a distraction." Chloe whispered cheekily. "Just like Rachel is distracted."

"Tonight." Max said, gently pulling away from the arms she wished she could stay in and turned to face Chloe. "While she's really distracted."

Chloe bit her bottom lip and stared at Max, a hungry look in her blue eyes. Max was so close to giving in to her gorgeous fiancée when the door opened and Rachel stuck her head in.

"Are you two staying up here?" She asked, grinning at Max's state of undress.

"Wasn't the plan." Max answered, pulling on her shirt now that Chloe was distracted.

"Then come back downstairs! Jess is getting bored of my bad jokes." Rachel crossed the bedroom floor and started pulling Chloe and Max from the room, making them both laugh at how excited she was being.

They went back downstairs and spent a couple of hours laughing and joking, telling stories about Arcadia Bay, or listening to stories about LA from Jess. Max noticed Chloe was showing just as much interest in the girl as Rachel was, despite the blunette's complaints earlier. She couldn't say she was the same way, instead choosing to remain cuddled in Chloe's arms and happily listening to the conversations and laughing at the jokes.

When the time came to set off for the party they all got into Rachel's car. Vienne would let them all stay the night, as she'd done in the past, which meant Rachel and Chloe could both drink without worrying about the drive home.

Jessica let out a low whistle as she looked at Vienne's large home as it finally came into view. The woman lived in one of the gated communities, though Max had never asked how she could afford it and probably never would. It was none of her business, but it afforded them the space and the privacy for the parties the woman could throw. Rachel parked her car but before the engine was off Chloe was already dragging Max out of the car.

"Party time!" Chloe jigged on the spot, waiting for Rachel and Jessica to join them.

Max found herself holding Chloe's and Jessica's waists as they walked up the drive to the open doors of Vienne's home, the music already causing a pounding sensation behind Max's chest. Rachel disappeared through the rooms as soon as they set foot inside, followed closely by Chloe who went in search of the booze. Jessica remained with Max as models, other photographers and security staff greeted Max, shaking her hand or sharing a hug. Max would introduce Jessica to them, bringing the new girl into the conversations so she didn't feel missed out.

"You really know everybody." Jess said loudly into Max's ear.

"You will too." Max responded, taking the girl's hand and leading her towards the approaching blue hair, which could only mean Chloe was coming back.

She was right as the blunette handed a glass of wine to Max and one of the beers to Jess. "Thanks." Jess said, toasting the bottle with Chloe's.

"Done saying hello to everybody?" Chloe asked, wrapping her arm around Max's waist.

"For now." Max grinned.

"Come on then, fresh air by the pool!" Chloe started guiding Max towards the back door, with Jess in tow. She hadn't released Max's hand.

They got outside away from the beat of the music. She could still feel it in her chest, but not as heavy. The back garden had a large swimming pool in the centre of it, with seating and tables around the edge of the house. Vienne knew how to host parties. Chloe led the way to one of the outdoor couches, where they all sat together with Max between the two taller girls, placing their drinks on the small table in front of them. Max could see Rachel talking to DeSilvio just inside the doors, laughing at one of his jokes.

"Who's that?" Jess asked, obviously looking in the same direction as Max.

"That's DeSilvio." Chloe answered. "A walking ego." She continued making Max laugh.

"Looks like it too." Jess muttered, almost so even Max couldn't hear her.

"Hey girls, glad to see you could make it." Vienne said, sitting in one of the two chairs."I already saw Rachel and figured you'd be out here." She explained with a smile.

"You know me and loud music." Max shrugged. "Great with a flash, not so much with the noise."

Vienne laughed and nodded. "That's quite alright Max, I'm just glad you came this time, especially after you've been so ill."

"I'm back on my feet now." She said, smiling at the woman. "Chloe makes a good nurse when you dress her up right."

Both Jessica and Vienne laughed into their glasses, Chloe however nudged Max in the side. "You're not supposed to tell them."

"Okay that's all I needed to know." Vienne laughed, standing up. "Enjoy yourselves girls."

"Thanks Vienne." Jessica said, trying not to laugh further. "You two are mad." She smirked.

"No. We're quite sane after everything we've seen." Chloe said, giving Max a knowing wink.

"Oh? Come on, tell me. You can't exactly leave me hanging on a comment like that!" Jess said, tapping Chloe's knee playfully.

"A storm wiping out Arcadia Bay?" Max said. "We already told you."

"You made it sound like more." Jess replied, her green eyes locked on Max's.

"Stick around, you'll share our adventures." Chloe smirked, putting her arm around Max.

"I may just do that." The black and red haired girl said with a sly grin. "It normally takes me weeks to get to know people... but you three, it's like I've known you all my life."

"That... happens to us a lot." Max smirked.

"It's our winning personalities." Chloe grinned, taking a drink from her bottle.

"You're welcome to hang out with us whenever you want Jess." Max smiled, patting the girl's leg. She seemed to flinch, but Max thought it was because they were still almost strangers to one another.

* * *

Chloe could feel the buzz from the alcohol, but after finally persuading Max she had the brunette dancing with her to the music. Jess had joined them while Rachel was still catching up with other models. Chloe didn't really know what to think of Jess, despite her conversation with Max earlier in the day. She was fun to be around, laughing at their jokes, and she had let slip to Max that she thought the girl was pretty hot, but Chloe always thought she could see a sadness behind her green eyes.

Rachel suddenly came rushing over to Max, a smile on her face and a wine glass in her hand. "Max! You've got to try this!" She said, passing the brunette the glass. Max shrugged her shoulders and accepted the drink, taking a small sip from the glass.

"Oh that is tasty." She nodded.

"Keep that one, I'll get another. I've already had half of it." Rachel grinned, looking between Chloe and Jess. "Having fun with the photographer?" She asked playfully.

"I think she's taking pictures of me with her eyes." Jess said loudly, she couldn't handle her alcohol quite as well as Chloe, either that or she'd drank more. Chloe wasn't really keeping count.

"She does that." Rachel said, covering her mouth from Max but saying it loud enough for them all to hear.

"Well... she has really pretty eyes." Jess nodded.

Chloe laughed, almost missing her partner blushing at the sudden compliment. "If you need to sleep Vienne's letting us four have her spare room." Rachel laughed.

"Like last time?" Chloe asked, putting an arm around Max's waist who was still sipping on the wine Rachel had given her.

"Just like last time." Rachel winked.

"What happened last time?" Jess asked, noticing the wink.

"We passed out in bed together." Rachel shrugged. "Then Chloe rolled over to the wrong body and started kissing before realising who it was."

"I moved fucking quick when I did." Chloe retorted, squeezing Max's side reassuringly.

"Only because I asked just what the fuck you were doing." Max laughed with Rachel. "You were so out of it Chloe."

"So we kicked her onto the floor so she wouldn't make the mistake again." Rachel smirked. "So much space in that bed for us eh Max?"

"Oh yeah." Max smirked, winking playfully to Rachel.

"Oh don't you continue that joke, that was fucking mean!" Chloe said, shaking her head.

"Don't leave me hanging here." Jess said, looking between the three of them expectantly.

"When Chloe woke up in the morning, Max and I teased her." Rachel started to explain.

"By throwing their shirts on the floor and making smooching noises." Chloe argued.

"We weren't actually kissing, or even touching." Max laughed, cuddling into Chloe gently. "We were just trying to tease her."

"Which they fucking did. So no, nothing like last time." Chloe said, then pointed at Rachel. "And for that... you can go and get me another beer."

"Fine." Rachel smirked and blew a kiss to Max. "See you in a minute baby."

"See you soon." Max did the same back, infuriating Chloe.

"You know... when you two drink I start to worry." Chloe said, taking the empty glass from Max and putting it on a table with her own empty bottle.

They danced for a while longer before Rachel returned, handing Chloe and Jess a bottle each. She looked as though the alcohol was finally hitting her, trying not to stumble across the room.

"You should go up to bed." Chloe said, holding the blonde up for a moment.

"Yeah... I think I might." She agreed, nodding. "What's the time?"

"Two in the morning." Jess answered, trying twice to put her phone back in her pocket.

"I think I might go with her." Max said, shaking her head slightly.

"I'll help you up?" Chloe offered, but Max shook her head.

"No, you two have more fun. Come up when you're ready okay?" Max hooked arms with Rachel and slowly released Chloe.

"Okay babe, see you soon." She said, kissing Max on the lips before the brunette was too far away.

"That hit them suddenly." Jess commented as they both watched the two girls ascending the staircase towards the bedroom.

"Max doesn't normally drink, and I've no idea how much Rachel has had." Chloe shrugged.

"Come on blue, let's party!" Jess laughed, pulling Chloe's attention back to dancing and drinking.

They downed shots when they were offered, laughed with the other models and photographers and continued to have a good time. Chloe was oblivious to the passage of time, instead enjoying the challenge of keeping up or outpacing Jessica.

"Have you two seen DeSilvio?" Vienne asked them as they started making their way towards the stairs.

"Nope. Not for a while." Chloe answered, her arm around Jess' neck.

"Me neither, although I can see two of you if that helps." Jess smiled awkwardly, an arm around Chloe's waist trying to stay upright.

"If you see him, let me know. His car's still outside but I thought he'd left." Vienne said, working her way towards other more sober people.

"I think I drank too much." Jess mumbled as she and Chloe struggled to go up the stairs.

To Chloe it looked like the stairs kept moving, but she was certain that was the alcohol talking to her. They managed to not fall over, and quietly approached the bedroom door with Chloe leading the way, her finger on her lips to keep Jess quiet. They opened the door, trying really hard not to laugh, but the intoxication soon evaporated as adrenaline flooded her system. DeSilvio was leaning over the bed and Chloe had no idea which girl was which.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" Chloe shouted, releasing Jess against the door and rushing around the bed to protect her girls.

"I was checking they were okay." DeSilvio said, backing away from Chloe.

Chloe glanced at the girls in the bed and knew something was wrong by the way they were both lying. "Jess get Vienne, tell her I'm about to throw this piece of shit off the fucking balcony."

She heard the girl leaving the bedroom, but kept following DeSilvio away from her girls towards the balcony. She had no idea what she'd do if he tried to attack her, but she would do anything to protect her two girls.

"Just let me leave Chloe, I've got no problem with you." DeSilvio begged, backed up against the balcony door.

"Oh you fucking do now you fucking sick perv."

"What the fuck's going on?! Vienne shouted from the door. Chloe glanced around and could see a couple of the security guys who had been partying with them.

"This piece of shit was doing something to Rachel and Max." Chloe said, looking back just as DeSilvio threw a punch at her. She felt the blow connect and a scuffle broke out as the security guys rushed into the room. Chloe leaned against the bed as she heard a shout and knuckles connecting with somebody's stomach.

"Get him out." Vienne said angrily. "Chloe..." The woman said, a little closer. "Underage drinking... if we call the cops."

"It's fine, as long as they're okay." Chloe answered, stumbling to her feet and looking at the two girls still out cold on the bed.

"He won't... work for us again. I'll make sure of it, okay?" Vienne said, placing a hand on Chloe's shoulder.

"He better fucking not." Chloe retorted, looking at Max's ripped shirt and unbuckled belt and jeans, her arm was draped across Rachel's bare stomach.

"I'll be back in a moment." Vienne said, leaving Chloe and Jess alone with the two sleeping girls.

Chloe gently checked Rachel's bra was still clasped and let out a sigh of relief when she found it was. Her shirt and top were also ruined though, ripped and cut by the asshole. Rachel's belt and jeans were undone and almost off her hips, but he'd not managed to get them off completely, having been interrupted by Chloe and Jess' drunken arrival.

"That was close..." Jess muttered, sitting in a chair at the foot of the bed.

"Motherfucking asshole." Chloe said sitting beside Max and gently stroking her hair.

"Was he fucking posing them?" Jess asked, peering over the edge of the bed.

"Some sick fucking pervy photo or some shit." Chloe answered, thinking of the most recent dead asshole who fit the description. She didn't want to entertain the other idea, she didn't want to imagine how sickened either of her girls would feel by such a violation.

Vienne returned to the room looking distressed, though Chloe couldn't feel sorry for her when she was so worried about the two girls. "We're going to sort it out." The woman said.

"How?" Chloe demanded, holding Max's hand firmly.

"We're going to send the four of your to New York for a new shoot, all expenses paid, increase in pay. I'm going to handle this while you're away and when you get back... he won't be working with us ever again." The woman explained.

"You can really do that?" Jess asked, crossing her arms.

"My family owns the magazine. I can do whatever I want." Vienne said. "I don't want to lose such an awesome photographer and two models for that piece of shit."

"I told you to fire him, you said management wouldn't." Chloe argued.

"After this? They don't have a choice. Do you want the jobs or not?" Vienne looked annoyed, but Chloe could see the concern in the woman's eyes. She was feeling the stress of the night as much as Chloe was.

"Let me talk to them in the morning?" Chloe asked. "It's not up to me."

"Okay... that's fine." Vienne nodded. "Jessica... I am so sorry this happened after your first shoot. We should have been celebrating."

The girl shrugged, apparently at a loss of anything to say. The buzz of alcohol had worn off for Chloe, no doubt the same held true for Jess.

"I'm going to leave you four alone." Vienne said sadly. "Chloe... I'm so sorry." The door closed behind the woman as she left, leaving them alone once more.

"Are they okay?" Jess asked quietly.

Chloe looked between the girls, aware of the rise and fall of their chests and nodded sadly. "Passed out cold." She answered.

"After all that noise?" The dark haired girl shook her head. "Fucker probably dosed them."

"Why would he dose Max?" Chloe asked, kicking off her boots and sitting against the headboard alongside Max.

"They shared a drink right?" Jess said. Chloe recalled the one glass they had shared, the last glass of wine Max had before going to bed.

"Fucking asshole." Chloe murmured, rolling the brunette onto her side and placing her head in Chloe's lap. She wasn't looking forward to the morning when she'd have to explain their damaged clothes.

* * *

Max woke up in the morning feeling terrible. Her head was throbbing and she felt sick, but she was comforted by the warm pressure of Chloe's body, her head against the punk's chest. She opened her eyes, wondering if she was about to see Rachel instead but was happy to see the butterfly shirt she'd had Chloe buy all those months ago.

"Hey Max." Chloe said, she sounded sad which confused her.

"Hey... what's wrong?" Max said quietly, trying not to wake anybody else in the room.

"Apparently it's a long story." Rachel said from behind Max, sounding rather annoyed. "We've been waiting for you to wake up before they'd explain why my shirt is ripped."

Max sat up suddenly and looked round at the blonde, noticing the rips and tears in her shirt that weren't there last night. She looked down at her own shirt and found it was ripped in half, right through the blue butterfly. Turning to face Chloe, she saw the blunette was struggling to hold back tears.

"What the fuck is going on?" Max demanded, trying to cover herself up with the two sides of her once beautiful shirt.

"Shall I... leave?" Jess offered gently.

"I got this." Chloe nodded. "Thanks for... staying."

"No problem." Jess smiled weakly, leaving the three girls together once more.

"Chloe... I want to know what the fuck happened." Rachel demanded again.

"Spit it out." Max demanded as well.

"When Jess and I came up to bed... we found DeSilvio leaning over you both." Chloe answered. "Don't worry, he didn't get to do anything to either of you!" She added quickly, putting her arm around Max and reaching out a hand for Rachel to take. "But he ripped your clothes, tried posing you and... that's when we stopped him."

"That fucking drink, that fucking asshole!" Rachel shouted. "I thought he was being nice, but no... he fucking... that fucking..."

Max remained quiet as the blonde ranted, but she never left Chloe's side. She took hold of Rachel's free hand and squeezed it firmly, trying to show her she was there with her.

"Max... I shouldn't have left you last night." Chloe said sadly, holding her close. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault." Max whispered, not feeling quite sure of herself. She was tempted to reset the last day and stop either of them having to go through the stress, to protect them as she'd always promised she would.

"You can't fix it Max." Rachel whispered, turning towards Max and wrapping her arms around her. "You can't go through that alone again." She said consolingly.

"I could try..." Max answered, turning into the pressure from Rachel and away from Chloe.

"No. It's okay." Rachel answered. "We'll... carry it together, okay?"

Max felt Chloe's body against her back, hugging both of her girls as best she could, trying to shield them from the pain they were both feeling.

"What happened to the asshole?" Rachel asked, giving Max time to think.

"He's getting his ass fired... and Vienne's offered you both another job. Like a working vacation, get us away from here for a while after... this." Chloe said.

"To sweep it under the rug, underage drinking." Max said, feeling Rachel's breath on her neck.

"You don't have to do it, you could quit... find new jobs." Chloe sounded tired, adding another worry to Max's list.

"No..." Max answered. "We'll do the job." She said, thinking of her promise to no longer rely on ATM rewinds. They needed these jobs to keep their home and lives.

"Let's think about it first." Rachel sighed. "I... need time to think."

Max nodded into the girl's shoulder and closed her eyes, wishing she could erase her own memories of events.

* * *

When they got home Max and Rachel both went upstairs to grab showers. Max stripped out of her damaged clothes in the bedroom and went into the en-suite bathroom, turning on the shower before removing her underwear and stepping under the warm water. She could remember most of the night, up until she started feeling really tired and wanted to sleep. It reminded her of the feeling in the junkyard, when Jefferson had injected her from behind and killed Chloe, a memory she wanted to forget but would end up reliving when her guard was down. The way Chloe would fall backwards into Rachel's grave. Remaining still she allowed the water to rain down upon her head, soaking her hair. She felt filthy from the memory that she'd been drugged again, saved from something worse only by the timely intervention of her fiancée and their new friend.

The door to the bathroom slowly opened and Chloe's blue hair appeared around the door, a look of concern etched on the girl's face. Max smiled weakly at the girl and waved her to come a little closer. When Chloe was close enough Max pulled her into the shower, soaking her clothes through. She kissed her wonderful fiancée with all the passion she could find, a sense of relief and happiness replacing the depressive thoughts and emotions she'd been feeling after finding out about their close call. She didn't want to dwell on it, didn't want to think about what could have been. She wanted to become lost in a happy moment with Chloe, beyond the reach of her maddening thoughts.

Chloe's hands found both of Max's, pinning the girl to the shower wall as they kissed like lovers, teasing each other's tongues and biting each other's lips. There was a primal urge to Max's actions as she wriggled her hands free and undid Chloe's belt and jeans, forcing the clothing down to the girl's knees. Chloe kicked them off carefully, flicking the clothing out of the shower onto the bathroom floor.

They stopped kissing while Max pulled Chloe's vest top off and threw it out of the shower, a look of concern remained in Chloe's eyes as she looked at Max.

"You sure you wanna do this?" Chloe asked, stroking Max's cheek sweetly.

"I need the good memory." Max answered, kissing Chloe's collarbone. "I want to be close to you." She continued, unclasping Chloe's bra.

"Max..." Chloe nuzzled Max's nose, an uncertainty in her voice as she asked again. "Are you sure?"

Max dropped Chloe's bra on the bathroom floor along with the rest of her clothes and slowly ran her hand down the centre of Chloe's chest, over her stomach, stopping just above the band of her underwear. She looked into Chloe's blue eyes, and nodded quickly, brushing their lips together as she teasingly inched her hand lower.

"I'm sure..." Max whispered, enjoying the gasp that escaped Chloe's lips. "I need something good." She said again, kissing Chloe's chin and working her way down her neck.


	19. Dark Demons

"Are you going to tell me what that was about?" Chloe asked, lying on her side and gently tracing her finger in circles on Max's chest just below her collarbone.

"I just..." Max turned her head to look at her fiancée lying in bed beside her. "I wanted to get lost in something... awesome." She answered quietly, trying to understand herself. She'd never acted on such an impulse before, never tried to escape from her pain in such a way.

"Take it from me Max... losing yourself in something else is not how to get past it." Chloe said wisely, looking into Max's eyes with a sorrow she hadn't seen in months.

"It's not like I'm drinking or doing drugs, or doing some other self-destructive thing... I made love to my fiancée..." They both smiled at her choice of words. "Do I need a reason to take you to bed?"

"No" Chloe answered quickly, gently flicking Max's nose with her own and planting a soft kiss on the end. "But don't try to bottle it, okay? Talk to me instead. You can tell me anything and I'll always be there for you."

"I know." Max whispered, snuggling into Chloe's warm body.

They lay in bed together for some time, Max listening to Chloe's heartbeat once more, enjoying the touch of her skin against her face. She had no idea how long they lay there together, a minute could be a lifetime for her if she wanted it to be. She could freeze them together in the moment and get far more time together than anybody else could get with the person they loved.

There was a quiet knock on their bedroom door, rousing them both from their embrace. Max quickly checked the covers were pulled over her chest as she lay on her back.

"One minute." Chloe called out, quickly darting out of bed and to the dresser where she pulled out underwear for both herself and Max. She threw Max one of her older vest tops and pulled on one for herself, then jumped back into bed just as Max pulled the top over her own head. "Alright!"

Rachel entered the room tentatively, peering around the door to make sure it was safe. "At least you're dressed this time." She smirked, walking into the room and dropping herself into the chair, pulling her feet up to get comfortable.

"Didn't want you perving." Chloe smirked, wrapping an arm around Max once more. "What's up?"

"We need to talk..." Rachel said sadly. "About the fire... last night..."

"What's happened with the fire?" Max asked, concerned it had become worse.

"It's been on the news. They managed to put it out this morning... around the time we..."

"Oh shit." Chloe muttered.

"Theory confirmed I guess." Rachel shrugged, a deep sadness in her eyes.

Max couldn't help herself, she got out of bed, rushed across the room and quickly put her arms around Rachel. She knew how it felt when she found out she had the power to rewind time, and her powers had only grown over time. Rachel pulled Max onto her lap, hugging the smaller girl with a strange need for comfort that Max was only willing to provide, gently stroking her blonde hair as they sat together. Max looked at Chloe, who nodded and smiled, apparently not worried by the sudden closeness of her fiancée and best friend.

"Both times I was so fucking angry" Rachel said quietly. "I was angry at my Dad, I was angry at that fucking asshole." She continued, her arms tight around Max. "What the fuck is wrong with me?"

"Nothing." Chloe answered before Max could speak. "It's just... part of you. Like Max's gift is part of her."

"I can help you try to control it. I can undo any damage you do." Max offered gently. "We can work on it together."

"Maybe..." Rachel said, her grip on Max slowly loosening. "Thank fuck there wasn't an open flame this morning." She laughed quietly.

Max smirked, appreciating the dark humour as a means to deflect how they were both feeling about it. They were both going to need time to process it all, but they had each other, they were never going to let each other go.

"At least you're both okay." Chloe smiled weakly. "I should never have let either of you out of my sight."

"You couldn't know what that asshole was going to do, so don't blame yourself." Max said, torn between hugging her best friend and going back to Chloe.

"It's my fault... again." Rachel sighed. "I was leading him on..."

"No." Max kissed Rachel's forehead with care. "It's not your fault for what other people do."

"Exactly! You didn't ask him to dose either of you." Chloe added. "That fucker is responsible for his own stupidity."

"But if I hadn't led him on..." Rachel tried to argue.

"He'd have tried it on another girl, and she may not have been saved." Chloe countered.

"This... is all going to take so much time..." Rachel said, resting her head on Max's smaller shoulder. "I'm so sorry you went through it Max."

"It wasn't the first time." Max replied quietly, thinking of the Dark Room that continued to disturb her sleep.

* * *

A week since the close call at Vienne's party and Max was still feeling the disturbing thoughts of what could have happened, despite trying to erase the thoughts from her mind, but she and Rachel rarely left each other's side. Rachel could tell when Max was slipping into her darker moods, becoming less outgoing, and would do something to distract her, either by telling a really bad joke or suddenly hugging her and kissing her cheek to try to snap her out of it. Max had found the same connection with Rachel that Chloe had, realising when the girl was heading into her own darker thoughts and able to help her through it. She didn't always get it right but Rachel accepted Max was just trying to help in her own way. It wasn't exactly an event that was going to be erased, Rachel was willing to keep the memory because it meant the fire was out, a worry had been removed from their shoulders.

Unfortunately there were times Rachel and Chloe weren't in the room with Max, when the memories of the Dark Room would be on her mind and she would lock herself in her photography studio alone, trying so hard to endure the pain rather than continue to trouble her two girls with it. She wanted to erase the memories of that ordeal but there was no way for her to do so, it was beyond her power.

Vienne had called a couple of days ago, asking if they'd thought about the offer as the opportunity for the shoot was closing. Rachel and Max both decided to take it, welcoming the idea of a paid vacation to do a job they already enjoyed doing. Unfortunately the sudden crisis had once more wrecked Max and Chloe's plans. They hadn't managed to get out and buy their rings without Rachel wanting to stay with them, which would mean admitting they'd got engaged and not told her. Max didn't want to test their running theory that Rachel's powers were connected to her emotions and anger by admitting they weren't telling her something so important.

They finally decided to stop stalling and just take Rachel with them, she could give them her opinions on which rings to get, as well as be included in their happiness.

"Rachel..." Max said, sitting on their couch beside the girl.

"Hm?" The girl answered, taking her eyes off the TV and looking at Max.

"We need to tell you something." Chloe said, sitting opposite them in one of the chairs.

"Oh no..." Rachel looked between the two of them, concern in her eyes. "I knew you'd want me to move out eventually but..."

"No no no." Max said quickly, taking the girl's hands. "We told you, we're never going to ask you to. We're a family, we stay together through everything."

"Then what...?"

"A week ago... after the Jeffershit stuff... I asked Max to marry me." Chloe said with a smile.

"Oh my God!" Rachel exclaimed, looking between the both of them quickly. "You... you said yes didn't you?" She stared at Max intently.

"Of course I said yes!" Max laughed happily. "But with everything that happened afterwards..."

"We haven't got the engagement rings yet." Chloe finished. "We were hoping..."

"You'd help us pick them." Max said, squeezing Rachel's hands. "Please?"

"Of course I will! I mean... you're sure you want my input right? This is a really personal thing!" Rachel answered, a bright smile on her face.

"We want it." Max nodded. "So..."

"You want to come with us? Ring shopping?" Chloe grinned, rocking on her chair as the excitement built. Max loved how excited Chloe could get over such simple things.

"Fuck yeah!" Rachel answered. "Let me get my shoes and jacket and we'll go right fucking now!" The blonde was absolutely alive with the prospect of going shopping for engagement rings, jumping up off the couch and going over to the front door where they kept their jackets and shoes. Chloe wasn't far behind her, but she quickly returned to take hold of both of Max's hands and pull her off the couch into a tight hug and a kiss.

"We're getting our rings today!" Chloe laughed happily.

"Will you be getting down on one knee again?" Rachel asked teasingly. "Or is it Max's turn?"

"We did that part." Chloe replied, releasing the brunette and pulling on her boots and jacket.

"Actually..." Max smirked, also getting ready to go out. "You never got down on one knee."

"Oh... Chloe..." Rachel sounded playfully disappointed in her bestfriend. "If you're going to propose..."

"Tell you what..." Chloe said, pulling Max out of the front door. "If it makes you feel better... I'll propose again once we're in New York." She grinned.

"But... that would mean we don't get to wear our rings today." Max said, shaking her head. "I can live with your awkwardly awesome proposal." She smiled, stopping Chloe from opening the truck door by gently pinning her against it.

"If you two are going to be doing that all around the shop, I'm not going." Rachel said, walking around to the other side of the truck.

"Yes you are." Chloe laughed before giving Max a quick kiss.

Max hadn't expected Chloe to take her to one of the upmarket shops in LA. It should have been well out of their price range, especially for two identical rings but Rachel was happily smirking at Max's look of shock. A dawning realisation struck Max and she placed her head in her hands, laughing but almost crying at how secretive yet romantic Chloe had been trying to be.

"How long were you planning this?" Max asked, leaning against Chloe as she looked for a place to park.

"Since January." Chloe shrugged, a thin smile on her lips. "I... put a lot of money on this, and Rachel helped."

"Your savings?" Max turned her head to look at the blonde who nodded.

"And whatever I could give her out of my pay from work." Rachel said, flicking her blonde hair out of her eyes.

"I wanted the best for you Max." Chloe said as she found a space for them to park.

"I would have accepted a cheap plastic ring as long as it came from you Chloe." Max said, wrapping her arms around her partner's neck and kissing her sweetly.

"Come on Max, put her down or you'll never get a ring." Rachel laughed as she exited the vehicle.

Max took the advice from Rachel and reluctantly released Chloe from their kiss, a sweet smile upon the brunette's lips.

"Let's go." Chloe smiled happily, opening the driver side door and getting out, followed closely by Max who quickly took hold of Chloe's hand.

She waited while the blunette locked the car door, then happily followed Chloe's lead as the punk led the way to the jewelry store. Max noticed the glances they received from the staff as they entered the store. She chose to ignore it and walked with Chloe to one of the display cases, looking at the beautiful rings they had on display. Rachel went to a different display, her hands behind her back as she peered closely at the rings. Max smiled at how official Rachel looked at that moment, like a true connoisseur of fine craftsmanship.

"What about that one?" Chloe whispered, pointing to one of the rings near the back with small diamonds in it.

"You think I'm a diamond girl? Or you are?" Max replied quietly with a smirk.

"Good point, I'd probably catch it on something within minutes of leaving." Chloe smiled, looking at Max. Max couldn't help but look into the blue eyes of the girl she loved, a yearning to kiss her again already rooted in her heart. "You're meant to be looking at the rings babe, not my eyes." The punk whispered with a cheeky grin.

"I can do both." Max shrugged.

"Yeah, but not at the same time." Chloe chuckled, putting her arm around Max.

"Hey Chloe, how about these?" Rachel asked loudly, grabbing their attention as well as the attention of the clerk.

Chloe pulled Max over to the display case Rachel was looking in, peering at the different black bands with different gemstones in them. Chloe almost had her nose pressed against the glass as she looked between the different choices, thin bands, thick bands, sapphires, emeralds, diamonds. They weren't exactly engagement rings, but it certainly fit Chloe's wonderful style. The style Max had slowly been converted towards.

"Do you want them engraved?" Rachel asked, putting an arm around Max's waist as well as they looked at the choices.

"I... wouldn't know what to have engraved on them." Max answered, glancing at the watch she still wore every day. They already had their partners in crime and time engraved on their identical watches.

Chloe moved in a little closer to Max and whispered in her ear. "Forever." The word sent a chill up Max's spine as she recalled that word as they looked out upon the tornado destroying Arcadia Bay, a promise Chloe had made to her then and a promise she would continue to make in every timeline.

"I like that." Max smiled once the memory passed. She leaned into her partner without pulling too far from Rachel, wondering which rings would suit them best.

"Hello Ladies, could I help you with anything?" The female clerk said, standing on the other side of the display case. Max thought the woman was looking down their nose at them, but chose to ignore it.

"We are looking for two identical engagement rings for these two beautiful girls." Rachel said with a smile, squeezing Max's side gently.

"Starting prices are at seven hundred and fifty dollars." The woman said.

"Oh yeah, money is no issue." Chloe smirked happily. "Right Caulfield?" She winked playfully.

"Max Caulfield?" The woman said, sounding surprised. "Oh I remember you now. You were the photographer who did the recent shoot for our newest line of necklaces."

"I remember that now!" Rachel smiled, a knowing look on her mischievous face. "That was one of our more intimate shoots." The blonde smiled.

"Nothing but the diamonds on her neck." The clerk said with an approving nod. "The line hasn't been released yet or you would probably see pictures of..." She looked to Rachel expectantly.

"Rachel Amber." The blonde said, looking a little annoyed that Max was more well known than her at the moment.

"Miss Amber... in a number of our display posters." The clerk finished. "Shall I leave you to browse a little longer?"

"Yes please." Max said, wanting to ask Chloe if she'd set this up. The clerk gave a polite nod and walked away to another customer, leaving the three girls to continue looking.

"Nice name drop Price." Rachel chuckled happily.

"Why do you think I chose this place?" Chloe responded, kissing Max on the side of the head. "Had to show you how well known you're becoming."

"Rachel will be more famous than me eventually." Max smiled, putting her arm around the blonde's waist and giving her a comforting squeeze. "Everybody can name a model, they don't always know the artist."

"They'll always know you Max." Rachel grinned. "I won't let them forget."

"Oh... how about that one?" Chloe asked, pointing to one of the black band rings with diamonds set into the band. "It wouldn't snag on my jacket!" She grinned, looking at Max.

"You really want a diamond ring?" Max said curiously, admiring the ring closely but not about to admit she liked it just yet.

"Well I'm not about to pick a sapphire one." Chloe smirked. "I want something that will look good on both of us."

Max smiled and nodded. "Diamond it is." She said, releasing Rachel for a moment so she could turn into her fiancée and hug her closely.

Rachel waved the clerk back over, who smiled politely at the three girls. "They've finally decided." The blonde grinned, pointing to their chosen ring and nodding when the clerk picked up the right one.

* * *

Almost an hour later the three girls left the store, Chloe and Max smiling happily with new rings on their fingers. Max couldn't help but keep turning her own with her thumb, feeling the weight of the band on her finger. She had to tell her parents she was engaged to Chloe, and she knew they'd want to visit as soon as possible now that their only daughter was engaged to her childhood friend. Joyce and David would probably visit as well to congratulate Chloe in person, which meant they may as well turn it into an engagement party when they returned from New York.

They piled into Chloe's waiting truck and started heading home when Max noticed the thousand yard stare Rachel was capable of when she was deep in thought. She placed her hand on Rachel's and felt the squeeze of her hand, knowing the girl was struggling with something she wasn't going to talk about. Chloe was oblivious as the blonde rest her head on Max's shoulder, leaning into the smaller girl as they got closer to home. She was about to ask if she was okay when her phone started ringing, annoying her slightly at the person's poor timing.

"Hello?" She said, forgetting to check the caller ID.

"Hey Max." Vienne said, Max quickly put the phone on speaker for Rachel and Chloe to listen. "We've got the tickets booked for a flight to New York in two days, for all three of you and Jessica. You're going to be staying at one of my family's apartments near to Central Park, so there's no need to worry about checking in or out of any hotels."

"That's awesome!" Rachel grinned, sounding more cheerful.

"I'll meet you at LAX in two days to give you your tickets, the key to the apartment and a brief on what we'd like you to achieve while you're there."

"That sounds good." Max answered, looking at Chloe who was also grinning at the news.

"Excellent! I'll call Jessica and let her know. See you all soon."

"Bye!" They all said, smiling happily. Max hung up the phone and was quickly hugged by Rachel.

"This is going to be great!" Rachel beamed, kissing Max's cheek. "We should invite Jess over the night before, go to LAX together!"

"Do it." Max nodded, holding out her phone for the blonde to make the call.

"When we get home. She's probably talking to Vienne right now." Rachel said, refusing the phone.

Chloe pulled up outside their home and Rachel was the first out of the truck, taking her own phone from her pocket. Max leaned against the truck, waiting for Chloe to catch up. The blunette wrapped her arm around Max's waist, a comforting grip that pulled Max out of her thoughts of the night she'd lost Chloe.

"You okay?" Chloe asked, noticing the look in Max's eyes.

"Still... struggling." She admitted quietly, resting her head on Chloe's shoulder as they slowly walked towards the front door. "Even though I know it didn't happen now... I mean, I'm holding you, so how could it have happened? But..."

"Thinking of those timelines?"

"I remember the snap back, to the coma. It... hurt." Max whispered so Rachel couldn't hear them. "And now... after that fire... I don't want to even risk using my powers. Not after the amount of pain it caused us, and that fucking nightmare."

"It was just a nightmare though Max." Chloe said, stopping outside the door and pulling Max into a comforting hug. "It's not like it was real."

"But we have no ideas how far my powers might go... what if it was an alternate timeline? What if it's my brain slowly falling apart?"

"Do you feel any different?" The blunette asked, looking at her concerned.

"Well... no... but..."

"But nothing. If it was your brain I'm sure we'd have seen other signs. Like your memory. But you remember all that shit. Shit I bet you'd actually want to forget." She smiled, gently stroking a strand of hair from Max's eyes. "It's your gift Max..."

"My curse..."

"A gift. It's allowed me to be with you, it allowed Rachel to keep living. As bad as those weeks were, we're all still together."

Max looked into the pretty blue eyes of her partner and smiled at her. "Always trying to cheer me up."

"Always." Chloe smirked, holding up her new ring for Max to see. "You're my future Max."

Max was about to kiss her partner when she felt a hand on her arm and she was pulled inside by Rachel, who laughed at the surprised look on both of their faces.

"Seriously... you're home but you decide to stand in the doorway batting your eyelashes at each other." Rachel said, grinning at the both of them as Chloe closed the door behind them. "If you want some couple time, go upstairs for a bit. I won't complain."

"That would be rude." Max muttered, kicking off her shoes and removing her jacket.

"I don't care." Rachel shrugged. "You're a couple, who do couple things. I've just helped you pick your engagement rings, if you want to spend time alone for a bit I won't be insulted." Chloe released Max and gave Rachel a big hug, which the blonde returned happily. "We're going to spend a lot of time together in New York." The blonde continued. "So... make the most of the time you can get without me while we're home." She winked.

Max took Chloe's hand and slowly started pulling her towards the stairs, a small smile on her lips as she followed Rachel's advice. "Thank you Rach."

"Yeah yeah, go be pervs." Rachel laughed, releasing Chloe from their hug.

Chloe blew Rachel a playful kiss, turned and followed Max up the stairs two at a time. Max opened their bedroom door and let out a giggle as Chloe's arms wrapped around her waist from behind as the girl started kissing her neck. They stumbled into the bedroom, Chloe kicked the door shut behind them and they fell happily onto the bed together, Max pinned on her front beneath the taller girl. She could feel Chloe's hand pressing on her stomach, slowly working down to the top of her jeans.

"Oh... fuck it." Max mumbled into the covers, allowing her wonderful partner to have her way.

* * *

The next day Chloe left Max and Rachel together while she went to go and pick up Jess from her apartment. Rachel had informed them yesterday, after their private time, that Jess would be staying with them the day before the trip so they didn't need to pick her up on the way to the airport. Neither Max nor Chloe were concerned with the girl staying over, she'd been a good laugh at the photoshoot and they were about to spend a week with her in New York.

Rachel kept repacking things, then undoing her work and packing something else while Max sat on the blonde's bed watching her best friend and laughing at her indecisiveness. Chloe had already packed their bags before leaving, which gave Max all the time in the world to try to help Rachel, but it wasn't going well.

"You have it easy. You're going to be behind the camera taking pictures. You could do it naked and nobody would know... but Jess and I? We have to pack the right things." Rachel said, picking up one of her shirts from out of the bag and throwing it at Max.

"You can wear whatever you want, it doesn't have to be perfect." Max countered, handing the shirt back to Rachel who once again put it in her bag.

"But I have to look my best." The blonde continued taking clothing out and putting other items in.

"Rach... you could be naked and you'd still look your best."

"Oh... is that a compliment? Should Chloe be worried?" Rachel winked playfully.

Max blushed and looked away from the blonde. "You're as bad as Chloe." She muttered.

"Gorgeous, talented and in love with a photographer?"

Max looked at Rachel, worried the girl had just admitted something to her that could ruin their friendship. "In love?"

"Oh for fucks sakes Max... of course I love you. You're my best friend. But saying you love somebody doesn't always mean they want to lie you on your back and..."

"I get the picture..." She quickly interjected, trying not to blush. Both Rachel and Chloe found it so easy to talk about their sexuality and sex in general, while it was still a topic Max got shy about, even after the last few months with both of them.

"What do you think of Jess?" Rachel asked suddenly. She'd stopped packing and was looking at Max closely.

"She's... cool I guess." Max shrugged. "She's fun to talk to."

"I get the impression she's happy to get out of her apartment." Rachel said, returning to her packing. "She couldn't say yes quick enough when I asked if she wanted to stay the night before New York."

"And Chloe just went alone to pick her up..." Max said, thinking about her fiancée.

"First time you've both been apart since... all that?" Rachel asked, sitting on the bed beside Max.

"Actually... yeah." Max thought back along the weeks, realising they hadn't been parted in months. Where either of them went the other would follow, even over the past week Rachel had never gone out without them.

"She's fine, it's Chloe. And if anything goes wrong..." Rachel pat Max's hand gently.

"SuperMax can save the day, again." She smirked, worrying about the chances of losing her powers again like the other timeline.

"Do you think we'll do much swimming?" Rachel asked, changing the topic and holding up her two piece red and orange bikini.

"We... could? I guess? I mean... we could always do a swimwear shoot" Max grinned, getting an idea. "And we could get Chloe into those pictures too."

"Oh that would be hella awesome!" Rachel laughed, packing the swimwear. "I like your thinking Max... did she pack her swim stuff?"

"No, but that doesn't mean I can't turn a blind eye while you... sneak into our bedroom, get our swimwear and hide it in your bag?" Max smirked.

"Have we finally corrupted you? Are you finally going to get a tattoo and join the club?"

"I'm telling you to sneak her clothes, not rob a bank." Max shook her head with a smile. "Or shall I do it?"

"You do it." Rachel said, standing up and continuing to pack her own bag. "But be quick about it!"

"I know." She got off the bed and left Rachel to her packing.

It wasn't long after Max had found their swimwear and handed it to Rachel when Chloe and Jess arrived. They went downstairs to greet their guest who had her own travel bag slung over her shoulders, a bright smile on her lips but the happiness didn't quite reach her emerald eyes. Rachel took the bag from the girl and gave her a hug, then Jess gave Max a small hug who returned it kindly. She wasn't quite as close with Jess as Rachel, but the gesture was appreciated.

"I'll put your stuff in my room." Rachel said, carrying the bag upstairs and out of sight.

"Am I sleeping in her room?" Jess quickly asked, making Chloe laugh and shake her head.

"You can sleep on the couch, unless you'd prefer to sleep with Rachel?" Chloe said, watching Jess' reaction closely.

"Couch is fine." Jess replied with a shrug. "I'm used to it."

"I still need to pack!" Rachel called from upstairs. "I'll be down soon!"

"Alright!" Chloe shouted back.

"She can't decide what to take." Max explained as she sat down on the couch with Chloe, enjoying the contact when the blue haired girl pulled her into a cuddle. "So what have you been up to this week?" She asked Jess, who was smiling at the two of them.

"Enjoying my first pay." Jess laughed happily. "Paid the bills, bought clothes for New York and... that's about it."

"How does your boyfriend feel about you going away for a week without him?"

"With three girls?" Chloe added playfully. Jess shrugged and smiled weakly, something even Chloe picked up on. "Everything okay?" She asked gently.

"Yeah... he's glad to have the apartment to himself." Jess answered with a weak smile. "Can have his party without me."

"You're missing a party?" Max asked curiously.

"Nothing big, he's inviting some of his friends over for a night. I normally get the job of serving up the drinks, but that's on him now!" Jess grinned happily, brushing a red strand of hair out her eyes.

"We'll have to have a mini party in New York then, just the four of us." Chloe said, gently stroking Max's hair.

"Girl's night in? I like the sound of that." Jess nodded, watching Max and Chloe on the couch.

Max wasn't sure but she thought she saw a longing and a sadness behind Jess' green eyes, but she didn't want to pry into the girl's life. "Looking forward to it?" She decided to ask.

"Fuck yeah!" Jess grinned. "It'll be my first trip out of LA, and I'm getting paid for it!" She laughed happily. "And... I get to do it with new friends, so bonus right?"

"Hell yeah!" Chloe smirked. "I'm just glad I get to go too!"

"I wouldn't leave you behind." Max quickly said, kissing Chloe's cheek. "If they wouldn't pay for you, I would. You go where I go."

"I must admit, you two are fucking cute together." Jess smiled. "You said you were childhood friends?"

"Yep. Then Max left for Seattle and I spent five years without her." Chloe answered while looking into Max's eyes. "When she came back... I fell in love with her all over again." Max couldn't help herself from smiling at Chloe's cute answer.

"It shows. Your love... I mean. I look at you both and... it's like you're meant to be together."

"I like to think we are." Max said quietly. "I'd fuck up the world for this girl."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New York arc starts next Chapter. I'd quickly like to thank everybody for sticking with me, I know the quality of my work hasn't been up to standard lately and I intend to work on that!
> 
> As you've hopefully come to expect things are going to be getting rough soon. I like some drama and some twists so keep watching! Updates may be slower as I work the arc properly before release, just like I did with the Jefferson arc. I hope you enjoy.


	20. New York

Gradually she started to open her eyes, but the sight around her petrified her in place. She was back in the replica of the Dark Room, surrounded by the people she had hurt. Her hands were strapped behind her back while her legs were strapped together, forcing her to remain on the floor in front of all of the observers. Chloe was sat on the couch between her fiancée and Rachel, both of them holding her hands firmly as they stared at her. Victoria and Nathan were sat on the arms of the couch, Frank was leaning on the couch behind Rachel, Joyce was behind Chloe with David. She looked at herself and felt the shame welling up inside her and tried to look away from the people she had hurt.

“Everybody is here, excellent,” Jefferson said as he walked around the corner into the room. He had a camera in his blue latex covered hands. “Do you like the crowd you have drawn up for us?”

“Fuck. You.” She responded quietly, glaring at the man she had once respected.

“Now, now. Not in front of your friends!” he responded with an evil smirk. “You had such a profound impact on these people. Surely you want them to see you in your glory?”

“This is a fucking nightmare…” she growled, trying to pull her wrists out of the straps to no avail.

Jefferson grabbed one of her legs and pulled her around, obscuring the people from her view. Then he rolled her onto her front and her heart started to hammer harder, unable to see what was going on but she could hear rustling of some kind. She didn’t want to experience this in a dream, she had to be in control.

“Calm down. You’re in good hands…” he whispered from close by.

She turned her head to the side and saw his shoes before he crouched down beside her. Looking up into the face of the man she once trusted, her gut twisted and a raging beast inside her growled.

“I beat you before… I can beat you here,” she snarled, trying to force her hands out of the straps once more. “Chloe will fucking save me.”

“I doubt that… she’s too busy with her lover to care about you,” Jefferson retorted, patting her on the cheek. “The sad thing is… you had so many chances to do the right thing, and instead you ended up hurting everybody instead.”

“I will fucking beat you!” she growled again, trying to wriggle out of the bindings.

“You will always remember me… my dear.” Jefferson smiled confidently. “Even when you think I’m in the past, I’ll always be a memory.”

The bindings broke and she lashed out at the man, hitting nothing but the mattress. She reached out for Chloe, hoping to hold the girl she had loved for so long, only the blue haired punk wasn’t beside her. She opened her eyes to look for the girl, and was quickly reminded that she was in New York. Chloe was in bed with Max, and Rachel was all alone.

She pulled her knees up to her chest and felt the tears start to roll down her face, she’d buried it for so long but after that dream she once again couldn’t deny how she felt. Ever since Max had come back she knew whatever she had with Chloe was over, but she couldn’t let her friend go, she’d failed time and again to relinquish the feelings. 

The nightmare only served to remind her of the pain she had caused Chloe, the lengths Max had been forced to go to for Rachel’s life. She wanted to hold Chloe once more, like they’d done only years ago when they were high and horny. She wanted to inhale her scent, to get time to look into those beautiful blue eyes and lose herself in the strength the girl possessed, to hide from the pain she was feeling.

For some time she cried silently into her pillow, feeling the emotions she had been burying in the presence of her friends. It hurt more than she liked and her need for something to take away the pain overwhelmed her heart.

Unable to go back to sleep she climbed out of bed and pulled on one of her discarded shirts, then slipped out of her bedroom into the living area. They’d been in New York for a few days already, evident by the mess they’d managed to leave in their wake. They’d planned to thoroughly clean the apartment before they left, but right now Rachel was far more interested in finding a bottle of wine to drown her sorrows.

She found what she was looking for beside one of the two couches and slumped down on the furniture as she picked it up. The lights from the city gave her just enough light to drink by. It wasn’t the same as drinking with Chloe, laughing the night away as they sipped from a bottle and smoked Chloe’s weed stash. 

After so many months with Chloe, she had clearly not given her the love or attention she deserved. Rachel had been stupid and assumed she would never lose the girl, and she’d become afraid of the monotony. Now she’d lost her, and the realisation merely hurt more. She thought she could live with it, seeing Max and Chloe so happy together, but as the months rolled on she’d started to struggle. She missed waking up beside them because she felt apart of their love. She missed the laughter as she fell asleep with Chloe, the memories she recalled from their years as just the two of them.

She took another gulp of the wine as the tears trickled down her cheeks once more, only making her feel more lonely when she heard a door open somewhere behind her. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she looked over her shoulder as one of the girls approached, finally revealed by the lights of the city.

“Hey, Chloe,” she said, holding out the wine bottle at the punk girl sat beside her.

“Can’t sleep?” Chloe asked, accepting the bottle from her and taking a sip.

“Nope…”

“Just like old times,” the girl joked, but Rachel knew exactly what she meant.

She rest her head on Chloe’s shoulder just as she’d done so many times in the past, accepting the bottle back to take another sip. Chloe put an arm around her, the comforting touch she continued to miss as the tears broke through again.

“What’s up?” Chloe asked, her voice cracking with concern. She’d never been good at hiding it.

“I don’t…” she shook her head, trying to shift the desire to fall down on her knees and admit her feelings. She couldn’t ruin what Max and Chloe had, she couldn’t hurt them further and confirm her nightmare.

“Don’t what?” Chloe said, her grip tightening around the blonde.

She was trying hard not to enjoy the touch but she felt herself slowly melting into the embrace, enjoying just one more moment in Chloe’s arms. “I had a nightmare…” she admitted quietly. “Rattled me a bit…”

“A lot… if you came hunting for wine,” Chloe teased gently, her lips brushing against Rachel’s forehead. “Wanna tell me about it?”

“It’s stupid… they’re always so stupid.”

“Not stupid if it upset you… like before…”

“Like the nightmares of the forest fire you mean,” Rachel retorted, sipping once more from the bottle. “That lasted what… a week? Two?

“A month… and I never left your side,” Chloe answered, taking the bottle from Rachel to sip from it again. “You’d wake up and I’d just…”

“Hold me and stroke my hair, tell me it was okay. And I always believed you and went back to sleep.” She smiled, reminded once more of the nights she spent with Chloe.

“So what was this one? Jeffershit?”

“Yeah… what might have happened in the...that place,” Rachel whispered quietly, taking the bottle back but not yet taking a sip. “Like I said… stupid.”

“You can always talk to me… you should know that,” Chloe said softly.

“I know.” 

Rachel smiled as she made the most of the moment with her friend, thinking of their conversation where she said she wouldn’t share. It still held true, just as the day she had said it, but in that moment she wished she could have kissed Chloe and escaped the thoughts that were assailing her mind.

As the night wore on and the wine almost depleted, she started opening up to Chloe about the dream. They changed position on the couch so they were facing one another with their backs against the arms, their legs entwined together. Passing the bottle back and forth until it ran out, Chloe quickly picked up another from the floor and they continued their night together.

It had been a long time since they’d had a moment to themselves, just the two of them talking like old times. She’d missed the connection they shared, the jokes that almost made them laugh out loud and wake the two other girls. Not for the first time, Rachel wished she possessed Max’s gift so she could halt time and allow them to enjoy it without end, to give them all the time in the world like she’d promised so many years ago.

As the sun started to come up beyond the buildings of the city, it added a beautiful light to Chloe’s eyes. The beautiful girl sat opposite her had been her partner in crime for so long, always there when she needed her. She would carry the regret for the rest of her life that she hadn’t fulfilled her promise, for the two of them to go beyond Arcadia together.

She passed the wine back to Chloe and moved her legs either side of her friends, watching as the blue haired girl sipped from the bottle. It was difficult, averting her gaze from the girl she hadn’t stopped caring about in all those months. The alcohol wasn’t helping, she wanted to throw aside all fears and doubts but she knew what would happen if she did. 

When the bottle was returned to her grip, she tried to bury her feelings further with the taste of the alcohol, hoping to blind herself to her own pain.

* * *

 

Max slowly started to wake up slowly, rolling onto her side in search of her partners warm body. Her arm reached out across the empty bed where she expected to find Chloe’s touch. Gradually she opened her eyes, not worried by Chloe’s absence. There were many times at home she would wake up alone because Chloe was cooking breakfast for her. She rolled onto her back, trying to wake herself enough to get out of bed. 

Climbing out of bed, she snapped up a shirt from the floor and pulled on a pair of jeans. She still wasn’t comfortable in her underwear in front of Jess, even if they had gone swimming together already. She opened the bedroom door into the living area and spotted Chloe’s blue hair hanging over the arm of the couch. The rest of her spectacular body was obscured by the back of the couch. She approached quietly, wondering if her girl was asleep. When she could see over the back of the couch she saw Chloe was lying on her side with her head on the arm of the couch.

A quiet humming drew her attention to the kitchen door, that was left slightly ajar. She entered the kitchen to find Rachel in just her shirt and underwear, stirring something in a bowl.

“Hey, Rach… whatcha cookin’?” Max asked as she leaned against the counter.

“Pancakes… for all of us,” Rachel answered with a smile.

“How come Chloe’s on the couch?”

“We may have spent most of the night drinking…” Rachel said, grimacing slightly as though Max was going to be upset with them.

“Well we’re not on any more shoots… drink til you drop.” Max shrugged, deciding to help Rachel with the breakfast by taking the bowl.

“Now that sounds like a plan!”

“Was she okay?” Max decided to ask, hoping she wasn’t becoming a burden on the girl she loved.

“Yeah. She was… looking after me, making sure I was okay.” Rachel smiled gently as she fiddled with the stove. 

“Are you okay?”

“Mhm… dark dreams, shitty just… she knows how to help. You’ve got an awesome fiancée.”

“She helps me with mine too.” Max admitted, not sure whether they’d ever spoke about their nightmares.

“Do you ever… dream about that night? Or… is it something else?” Rachel asked, the uncertainty evident in her voice.

“Never that night. I… don’t remember anything of it,” Max answered quietly. 

She put the bowl down on the counter and turned to look at Rachel. The girl had her distant look, but she was talking about it for once.

“Last night… it was that replica Dark Room. I… only saw it that one time, but it’s burned into my memory. Like a scar on the inside.”

“I… know how that feels,” Max admitted, tentatively putting an arm around Rachel who leaned a little more into her. “I’ve… been having nightmares of the Dark Room, of… him. I’m so afraid of losing Chloe, of her deciding to leave me.”

“She never will, Max… trust me. She is the most loyal badass I have ever known… she’ll never leave you.” Rachel sounded so confident with a warm smile on her face.

It heartened Max to hear her say that, further confirmation of what she had been trying to tell herself for so long. She gave Rachel a quick kiss on the cheek for the confidence she was trying to inspire before they returned to making breakfast together. 

They’d just started pouring the batter into the pan when Max felt Chloe’s arms slip around her waist and give her a big hug from behind.

“Hey…” Chloe whispered into Max’s ear, followed by a quick kiss.

“Morning… sleep well on the couch?” Max asked with a small giggle as Chloe pulled her away from the stove, leaving Rachel to be the chef.

“I’m sorry about that. I couldn’t sleep and I found Rach so… we drank the night away.” Max turned around into her partner’s arms, staring into her pretty blue eyes.

“Don’t make it a thing? I missed waking up to you,” she said honestly, standing on tip toes to flick Chloe’s nose with her own.

“Let her go, Max… I don’t need to hear your sweet nothings when we’re meant to be making breakfast together…” Rachel teased gently, drawing Max’s attention back to the task at hand.

With Chloe now assisting, they started loading up plates with the pancakes they were making, only now realising they probably made a few too many. Chloe disappeared into the living area to start setting the dining table for the four of them, while Rachel felt she should be the one to wake Jess. 

Chloe returned to the kitchen to help Max carry through the cutlery and plates. As soon as the plates were placed on the table Rachel had returned, along with Jess who was wearing a long nightshirt that covered her thighs.

Jess’ black and red hair was let loose down her back, the shaved side covered by the tangle of hair. She yawned and stretched before she sat down with them, a warm smile on her pretty face.

“Morning sleepy,” Chloe said. “Oh… we forgot drinks…”

“I’ve got it.” Rachel quickly stood up, returning to the kitchen.

“Morning… what are we doing today?” Jess said, scratching her head before running her fingers through her hair to straighten it a little.

“Whatever we want… we have two days to enjoy before we go back to LA,” Max answered between mouthfuls.

* * *

 

After a wonderful day exploring Central Park, the four girls returned to the apartment in high spirits. It was late in the evening and Rachel had once more used her fake ID to secure them some alcohol for the night, while Chloe was carrying the take out chinese they’d bought on the way back. 

Max felt she knew what was coming, especially now that they didn’t have work ahead of them or any dark events to deal with. She could almost feel the energy building in Rachel as they ate their meal, laughing at poor jokes.

She sat beside Chloe on one of the couches, her wine glass on the coffee table in front of her. Jess was sat opposite Max, her feet pulled up underneath her as she ate her food. She’d become more outgoing throughout the week, especially when she wasn’t on her phone talking to her boyfriend. They’d barely had any insights into their friend’s life, but with Rachel’s scheming to play a game, she knew it wouldn’t be long before they learned more about her.

“Alright… how about we play a game?” Rachel said when they’d all finished their meals, with only the small snacks left between them.

“Knew this was coming.” Chloe laughed as she picked up her beer from the table.

“What game? Board game? Did you bring any?” Jess asked, tilting her head to one side.

“Truth or dare… maybe? Get to know you better? Push your limits.” Rachel grinned at the girl.

“You still play that? I thought it was for high school kids.” The dark haired girl laughed as she unzipped her hoodie and leaned back in her seat.

“A game is a game. It’s like an ice breaker, good way to get to know somebody!” Rachel argued gently, picking up her wine glass.

“You’ve been hanging out with me for a week, don’t you know enough?”

“Can always know more! So… wanna? Otherwise we have to endure those two getting all intimate while we watch movies again.” Rachel pointed to Max and Chloe to make her point.

Chloe took the hint and snuggled into Max, making the petite girl giggle at her partner playing along.

“Alright, game it is! Might even push your limits!” Jess teased back.

“Just please don’t have me kissing Rachel… I don’t think Chloe’s heart could take it!” Max asked, trying not to think about what she had to do to return to Chloe that time.

“She’s right… I’d get hella jealous and try to kick some ass!” Chloe said, playing up to her kickass nature and making Max laugh.

“Note to self… get Chloe to kiss Rach instead, got it!” Jess teased, clearly unaware of how jealous it could make Max.

Max tried to shrug it off as a joke, turning a little more into Chloe who tightened her grip, aware of how it made her feel. She was so grateful they’d already discussed these things, that Chloe understood.

“So… who wants to ask first?” Rachel grinned, clearly happy to be playing a game where she could push their limits.

“I will! Because you persuaded me to play,” Jess answered.

“Go for it!” Chloe said as Max slid down to rest her head on Chloe’s shoulder.

“Miss Photographer, truth or dare?” Jess asked, a look of mischief in her eyes so similar to Rachel’s.

“Truth, I haven’t drank enough to be ready to take a dare,” Max replied with a small smile.

“Considering how long you’ve known her… have you ever had an erotic dream about Rachel?” Jess said with a smile.

“No. Never… not that I can remember anyway,” Max answered, trying not to remember the nightmare she’d had in the shower.

“Well shit… fair enough, your turn.”

“Rach…” Max grinned, turning slightly to look at her best friend.

“Truth…” Rachel answered quickly, clearly in the same frame of mind as Max.

“Have you… ever had a threesome?”

“Fuck no… no way. I like the intimacy of one on one, being able to stare into your lover’s eyes…” Rachel winked at Max. She knew she agreed with the answer, there was something about getting lost in Chloe’s eyes while they were together, it was indescribable.

“Good answer…” Jess smiled, but Max noticed it fault slightly.

“So Jess… truth or dare?” Rachel said after taking a sip of her wine.

“Truth.”

“Fucking hell… this is turning into a truth round,” Chloe commented. 

Max poked her in the side. “You’ll just have to choose dare then,” she teased.

“Have you ever been with a girl? Ever?” Rachel asked, causing Max to look around, slightly curious as to Jess’ answer.

“Define… been with?” The dark-haired girl responded.

“Ya know, intimate, rolled in the sheets…” Rachel said, slowly listing off different euphemisms.

“No, never! Boyfriend asks but… no…” Jess answered quickly.

“Oh, he wants you with another girl?” The blonde girl said, pressing for more information.

“Yeah… but… I say no and he accepts it.” The girl shrugged, looking away from Rachel and at Chloe. “So… Chloe… truth or dare?”

“She’s choosing dare, because she decided to comment on it,” Max said, kissing Chloe’s shoulder afterwards.

“Yeah yeah… dare me,” Chloe grumbled with a nod, making Rachel laugh.

“I dare you…” Jess went quiet for a moment, clearly thinking of what she could get Chloe to do. Max quietly hoped it wasn’t to do anything with Rachel, hoping she didn’t act on her previous joke. “To take a sip of beer every time somebody chooses truth.”

Rachel laughed out loud at the dare, clapping her hands. “That’s brilliant! Oh, Chloe you are going to be so drunk by the end of the night.

“Only if you three keep choosing truth! So… Rach, truth or dare?” Chloe said, a hopeful look on her face.

“Just for you Chloe… I choose truth,” Rachel said with a chuckle.

Chloe groaned and took another swig of her beer, shaking her head at her friend as Max giggled beside her. “What do you think of the beautiful Jessica beside you?”

“Oh…” Rachel said, her smile faltering for a moment as she looked between Chloe and Jess. “Well… she has beautiful emerald green eyes that shine when she’s happy. I think she has a hella awesome hairstyle, that suits her so brilliantly. I don’t think I could ever shave my hair on one side! She has a very pretty smile, when she wears it.” She smiled warmly at Jess, who Max noticed was starting to blush at the compliments she was receiving. “I’ve seen what she hides beneath those clothes… and I think her boyfriend is very lucky to have such a beautiful girlfriend.”

“Thank you, Rach…” Jess said with a smirk, quickly taking a sip of her drink.

“All true!” Rachel laughed gently.

“Alright… last question, and then we’ll play something else for a while!” Chloe said, cracking open a new bottle of beer.

“Sounds good to me…” Rachel smirked. “Max, truth or dare!”

“I’ll take a dare, so my wonderful punk doesn’t get too drunk,” she answered with a grin. Chloe squeezed her sides in thanks, but Rachel was smirking mischievously.

“I dare you… to take a sip of wine whenever somebody asks for a dare, when we return to playing this game… which we will!” she said with a satisfied grin.

“Alright, as long as I haven’t got to do anything right now!” Max laughed, happy to be avoiding a dare she would have to act on.

“For now... “ Rachel winked.

* * *

 

As the night progressed they moved onto a game of cards, followed by another round of truth or dare. Max and Chloe were paying for their dares, taking the choice to get the other to drink a little more.

Afterwards Rachel decided to start playing a game of two truths and a lie with Jess. During this game Max and Chloe snuggled closely, the alcohol had taken its toll and the two of them were whispering sweet nothings. Max loved hearing how much Chloe loved her, and she in turn loved confessing how she felt for the blue haired beauty. They were about to kiss when they heard Rachel cough and pull their attention back to the game they were playing.

“If you wanna start getting all intimate, you have a perfectly good bedroom to occupy!” Rachel said, sounding all official despite the amount she’d been drinking.

“But this couch is so comfy!” Chloe shot back. Max giggled and nuzzled Chloe’s neck, tempted to kiss and bite.

“So is this one, but you don’t see me crawling all over Jess!” Rachel retorted with a roll of her eyes.

“You would be if somebody dared you to! You can never say no to a dare,” Max replied.

“You’re one to talk! Kissing Chloe on a dare!” said Rachel, smirking comfortably.

“Fine, I dare you to kiss Jess!” Chloe issued with confidence.

“I’m… not sure Jess would be comfortable with that.” Rachel said, looking at Jess.

Max noticed the girl was looking a little uncomfortable with the direction the conversation had taken.

“I’m taken… and I’d hate having to explain a drunken fumble with a new friend,” Jess argued gently.

“Fumble? She only dared her to kiss you! Not take you to bed,” Chloe chuckled softly.

“But it counts, and we’re not going to make our friend uncomfortable or get her into trouble over a joke.” Rachel stated firmly.

“You’re right. Sorry, Jess,” Chloe agreed with a small nod, bumping Max on the head with her chin.

“It’s alright… we’ve been drinking. I’m not gonna hold it against you,” Jess teased with a small wink that Max noticed.

“Come on… I wanna be able to remember the night,” Max suddenly decided, climbing off Chloe and holding out a hand to help her up.

“Oh, really?” Chloe grinned up at her, her eyes lighting up at the invitation.

“Are you going to make me beg? I’m taking Rachel’s advice!” Max retorted. As soon as Chloe’s hand closed on her own, she helped pull her partner off the couch.

“I’m never going to say no to my girl, she’d make me sleep on the couch…” Chloe smirked as Max started to pull her towards their bedroom.

“You’re damn right I would…” Max responded playfully.

“Have fun!” Rachel said as they passed through the door into their bedroom.

* * *

 

Sitting on the couch with Jess, they talked and laughed about the most inconsequential of things. She was the perfect distraction from how she was feeling about Chloe, from the jealousy she felt when she’d seen Max cuddling up to the girl she still had feelings for. 

Jess was a breath of fresh air from that stirring beast, allowing her to direct her attention into learning all she could about the girl. The way she held herself, the flicker of pain behind her eyes when she thought nobody was watching. It made her curious, she wanted to know what the girl was hiding beneath the surface of her beautiful body.

She leaned a little closer to the girl and stroked a strand of her black hair aside, allowing them to look each other in the eyes. Jess smiled and returned the small gesture. She stroked Rachel’s blonde hair behind her right ear.

They talked and drank for a while longer and Jess slowly opened up, resting her free hand on Rachel’s arm on the back of the couch.

“So… you’ve never fumbled with a girl… but have you ever kissed one?” Rachel asked curiously, it had been on her mind ever since the game.

“Yeah, it’s why he has a thing for wanting to see me with another girl,” Jess answered stroking her fingers across Rachel’s elbow. “I don’t want… that’s not what…”

“Not what?” Rachel asked, trying to understand.

“I was always drunk, messing around… trying to have a good time. He makes it sexual, the fucking guys all making those stupid noises and cheering. It just… ruins any experience for me. I don’t wanna get it on with a girl while they’re all fucking leering, ya know? I’d rather experience these things because I want to, not because of some dirty fucking fantasy.”

“So you want… one night to see if you like girls? Or you just want the experience of something new?”

“I… I don’t fucking know, the alcohol is not helping.” Jess laughed uncomfortably, shifting in her seat and leaning back against the arm once more.

“Well I’m not going to judge you!” Rachel smiled warmly, trying to put the girl at ease. “It’s your life, Jess. It’s your decision who you choose to share it with! You haven’t got to do anything you don’t want to.”

“Thanks, Rach…” Jess nodded, a small smile pulling at the right side of her pretty lips. “So… be honest with me.”

“About?”

“I’ve seen you looking at Max and Chloe, the look you try to hide… which one are you actually looking at?”

“What do you mean?” Rachel frowned, leaning back against the arm of the couch.

“Well… I only see that look when they’re getting intimate, and I can’t tell which one you’re actually looking at.”

“That obvious huh?” she sighed, trying to think up an excuse but the alcohol was slowing her mind.

“Obvious to me… maybe not to them.” Rachel remained quiet for a moment, still trying to come up with a response or a deflection. “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have asked. It’s none of my business.”

“Chloe,” she answered quietly, looking down at her glass. “I thought I could live with it but sometimes I just wish… I wish I hadn’t let her pass me by.”

“You two were… close?” Jess asked tentatively.

“And now she has Max… but I have her in my life, and I don’t know where I’d be without either of them.” She frowned as she thought about how carefree she used to be, how she had the world in her hands and the shit with Jefferson had undone her confidence.

“You never know what the future holds, Rach.”

“I know them… their love is so pure and so fucking deep. There will never be a time I’ll be with Chloe again, not like that. But it’s okay! Seriously. She’s in my life, and I’m glad I’ve got them both.”

“You sound like you’re trying to convince yourself…” Jess said with a small smile. “I know how that feels.”

“Like you said… you never know what the future holds.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody,
> 
> It's been a while since this was updated, and I know I promised a New York arc but regrettably, I'm actually struggling with a few issues in real life right now. It's taken me a week to put this chapter together when in that past it would have taken me a few hours. I don't want to leave this fic unfinished, and I don't want to ruin the ending of a perfectly good fic either. 
> 
> So this chapter focused a little more on Rachel and it is the first time in this story that it's been from her PoV. Hopefully, you enjoyed the glimpse into her chaos!
> 
> Thank you for reading, thank you for your patience!


	21. Broken Angel

One of the best things about being in New York with Jess was how much time Max was getting to spend with Chloe. While Rachel and Jess would go exploring the shops together, Max could do whatever she wanted with her lovable punk.

They sat together in a booth in one of the restaurants they’d enjoyed a couple of times throughout the week, a milkshake with two straws on the table before them. It was the peaceful moments Max had started to enjoy the most, leaning against Chloe and watching the world pass them by.

After the chaos of the Arcadia Bay week coupled with losing Chloe and Rachel to Jefferson once more, she was trying to make the most of every minute. She knew Chloe felt the same way by the small physical gestures she would make as they sat together, stroking the back of her hair or holding her hand loosely.

“You’re quiet today, babe. You okay?” Chloe asked, squeezing Max’s hand comfortingly.

“Just watching the world… without a lens.” She smirked, thinking how different she was to a year ago. “And enjoying the peace with my partner. How about you?” she asked, turning her head to look at the girl she loved.

“Thinking…” Chloe shrugged, looking back out of the window at the busy New York street.

“Uh-oh… does it hurt?” Max teased gently. Chloe gave her a quick jab to the side for the cheeky comment.

“You’re really confident these days, ya know that?” The blue haired girl said with a smirk.

“If I’m more confident, it’s because of you!” Max smiled, resting her head on Chloe’s shoulder. “So… whatcha thinking?”

“I’m… worried, about Rach.” Chloe shifted in the seat, allowing Max to snuggle into her a little bit more. She moved the milkshake a little closer to them, just so she didn’t have to reach for it.

“Why? She’s probably okay with Jess…” Max frowned, thinking the worst for a moment due to Rachel’s history of disappearances.

“Not like that, dork. I don’t know if she’d want me telling you… but I trust you with everything, y’know?”

“Stop stalling and just tell me.”

“She’s been having nightmares like you. But… I don’t think that’s everything,” Chloe said, reaching for the milkshake.

“What do you mean?” Max asked before putting her straw in her mouth and taking a sip before Chloe drank it all.

“Well…” Chloe took another sip of their drink before she continued. “She seemed… ya know… weirder? More sad? Down? I dunno how to explain it.”

“Want me to try to talk to her?” Max asked, trying to help however she could.

“Nah… she’ll go all quiet and I don’t want her feeling ganged up on. I just… would it be okay if I spent a bit of time with her? Try to find out what’s up?”

“Of course it’s okay! You don’t need my permission to spend time with our best friend.” Max almost laughed, surprised that Chloe was even asking.

“I know but… well, ya know how we’re practically never parted…” Chloe smirked as Max looked up at her, almost losing herself in those blue eyes.

“Just like when we were kids,” Max said, recalling how they had spent so much time together in their youth.

“Right.” Chloe grinned, finally putting her arm around Max just like she’d been wanting.

When their milkshake was finished a waitress came over to collect the glass and see if they wanted anything else. Max was about to answer when Chloe ordered them another milkshake and a some fries, extending their stay and time together a little longer. 

It was strange to have time to themselves without needing to be anywhere or do anything. In Arcadia Bay, Max always had to be somewhere. When they reached Seattle together they spent weeks organising her ‘Save Rachel Amber’ mission. Then it was days of travelling going from one problem to the next, and finally chaos getting themselves settled in LA.

They’d had a few months together of course, but even then it had become one job to the next, always doing something with no time to slow down. Life had become busier than they’d expected, pulling them along. 

She fiddled absently with the engagement ring on her finger, wondering what it had cost the two girls to save up so much money while Max was cheating the system rewinding ATMs. They could have stopped her cheats sooner if they’d told her, saved people’s jobs and drawn less attention to the thefts. Max quickly put it to the back of her mind, she’d already made her decision to stop that practice and rely on their income.

“You really like the ring, huh?” Chloe asked, she’d obviously been watching Max’s hand.

“I love it,” she answered quickly, glancing down at the band. “We’re going to have to start planning it, I don’t want to be engaged for ten years because we never get around to it.”

Chloe laughed and squeezed her side. “Whatever you want, SuperMax.”

“And whatever you want too! It’s not all about me, Chloe, it’s about us. Being together…”

“Forever,” Chloe finished the sentence for her. “I’m not changing my mind about you. I lost you for five years.” She started playing with Max’s hair again as they stared into each other’s eyes. “Then I lost you for two weeks,” she added quietly, but the sadness was evident in her voice.

“Never again. I promise, Chloe… I’m never leaving you alone,” Max said firmly, turning towards Chloe and placing a hand on her cheek. “You can’t get rid of me.”

“Good. Because I never want to lose you again,” the girl said with a smirk just as their food and second milkshake arrived.

Max took one of the fries from the bowl and held it up for Chloe to take a bite, nipping Max’s fingers playfully. She laughed and quickly leaned up to kiss her partner after she’d swallowed her food. Chloe quickly returned the display of affection, tightening her grip on Max as they shared a sweet kiss.

As Max reluctantly withdrew from the connection she flicked her nose over Chloe’s and stared into her pretty blue eyes, a smile pulling at her lips.

“I love you, Max,” Chloe said before Max could utter the words first. “I was so lost without you.”

“I love you too, Chloe. I’ve always loved you, I’m so sorry it took me so long…”

“It’s not your fault. I’m just glad… in the end… we have each other.”

Despite Max’s usual avoidance to public displays of affection, they kissed again. Losing herself in Chloe’s embrace was one of the best feelings in the world, even if people saw them. She tried not to care about what people thought, focused entirely on the girl she adored with her whole heart, making the most of every second they spent together.

* * *

 

They returned to Vienne’s New York apartment some time later where they were reunited with Rachel and Jess. The two girls had bought some groceries to cook them a meal, taking them completely by surprise. It wasn’t unexpected to have a meal cooked for them by Rachel, she’d done her own share of the cooking during the months they had spent living together. Jess helping her was the surprise, she’d loosened up considerably during their time in New York. She wasn’t quite so awkward or shy, laughing with them at bad jokes and letting loose with some of her own.

Chloe still felt there was something off about Jess, but she wasn’t sure if it was because of an old possessiveness she felt for Rachel. They’d been a constant in each others lives for so long it felt weird to be sharing her attention with another person that wasn’t Max. 

As the evening wore on they settled themselves into the living area and put a comedy movie on. Chloe pulled Max against her, wrapping themselves together in a warm embrace as they watched the TV.

While her eyes were on the TV, she wasn’t really watching it. She was looking beyond it at a fixed point she couldn’t quite see. Her mind was racing as she tried to think of a way to approach her friend, how to get her alone for a while so they could talk like old times. She heard the blonde girl laugh and was pulled from her own long yard stare, glancing at her friend who once again looked so alive. The memories of the weeks without her rushed to the fore and she quickly had to suppress the feelings of loneliness she had felt, the fear at having lost both of the most important people in her life. 

“Need another drink,” she quietly whispered to Max, poking the girl in the side to get her to sit up.

“Alright babe, get me another coke please?” Max said with a pretty smile.

“Me too!” Rachel said, holding out her glass.

“Lazy fucks…” Chloe mumbled playfully as she stood up, collecting their glasses as well as the one Rachel was holding out.

She went into the kitchen and pulled out her phone, quickly scrolling through the messages as she leaned on the counter by the fridge. She found the conversation with Rachel, that was far less used than it used to be now that they lived together. With a huff she started to type a message to her friend, then stopped and deleted it. 

Instead, she put her phone back in her pocket and poured out three more glasses of coke and returned to the living room to watch the movie. Chloe had no idea how to approach her friend, she had no idea what was wrong to begin with. She just knew Rachel was dealing with something, hiding it from them again. There was no way Chloe was going to wait for another Jefferson situation.

* * *

 

After they had all retired to their bedrooms that night, Chloe had happily climbed into the bed she shared with Max. They’d been sleeping in vest tops and underwear while they were sharing the apartment with Jess, something Chloe didn’t mind. Unfortunately, it meant they rarely had a late night fumble, usually initiated by the blunette who would tease Max mercilessly with carefully weighted kisses and touches on her petite body.

She had tossed and turned after Max had fallen asleep and rolled away from her restlessness. It reminded her of the years in Arcadia Bay, unable to sleep and left to incessant thinking. Her phone suddenly vibrated and she rolled over quickly to silence it before it woke up her partner. It was just a text, but it brought a smile to her face.

**Rachel:**

_ I need you… late night chat? Like the other day? Please? _

**Chloe:** **  
** _ Living room? _

She responded quickly, wondering if they were in for another late night drinking wine and spending time together.

**Rachel:**

_ My room. Don’t wanna disturb Jess or Max by accident. Bring wine? _

She chuckled quietly at how well she knew her friend.

**Chloe:**

_ You got it. See you soon. _

Carefully, she climbed out of bed while trying not to disturb Max. She knew the petite photographer would understand if she woke her to explain, but she also knew the brunette wouldn’t go back to sleep while Chloe wasn’t in bed with her. She didn’t want to leave Max awake and alone while she checked on Rachel, it wouldn’t be fair on her, especially if it took hours to break through the model’s many barriers.

Opening the bedroom door, she slipped out into the living area of the apartment and quietly walked across the wooden floor towards the kitchen for one of the few bottles of wine they had left. She opened it and was about to take a couple of wine glasses when she thought better of it. She and Rachel didn’t need glasses to enjoy wine together.

When she left the kitchen she made her way to Rachel’s room and quietly opened the door without knocking. The lamp in the corner of the room cast a small amount of light around the room, enough to see the lump in the middle of the bed and the hazel eyes gazing at her as she closed the door.

“Took you long enough,” Rachel said as she sat up and slid over, throwing back the duvet as an invitation to join her.

“You asked me to get the wine,” she retorted, sitting beside her friend and pulling the duvet over her bare legs.

“True… no glasses though?”

“I thought we’d end up drinking from the bottle? Like old times?” Chloe sighed, thinking she may have read the situation wrong.

She was about to get back out of bed when Rachel’s hand closed around her wrist and the girl laughed. “It’s fine… I was teasing,” the blonde said with a soft smile.

“So… what’s up?” Chloe asked as she passed the bottle to the model, who quickly took a sip.

“I was lying here… thinking about the other night and I didn’t want to sleep.” The girl answered with a shrug. “I didn’t want to think about it. So what better solution than inviting my best friend into my bedroom for a late night drinking session?”

“Some would think you were looking for a booty call,” Chloe responded with a small laugh as she took the bottle from Rachel’s hand and took a sip. Max and Rachel both had good taste in wine, even if Chloe preferred beer. 

“Is that even on offer?” Rachel teased quickly. 

She hadn’t lost her playful nature, even if she was feeling down about something. She’d always been good at hiding things, and it had already got them into so much trouble.

“Definitely not! I am a one woman gal…”

“And that woman is Max.” Rachel nodded, a strange look in her eyes, quickly hidden when she took another sip of their wine.

“Is that what’s bugging you?” Chloe asked, finally feeling like she was about to get an answer.

“No… of course not! I’m so happy for you both!” The beautiful girl had a wide smile on her face as she spoke, but Chloe didn’t believe her for a second.

“Rach…” she tried to persist.

“What do you think of Jess?” Chloe sighed, knowing she wasn’t going to get an answer out of the girl.

“I… don’t really know.”

“I know you two don’t hang out much, you’re always lost in Max’s pretty little eyes… but, come on, you have to have an opinion?”

“She’s alright, I guess. A good laugh now that she’s started opening up a bit but…”

“But…” Rachel grinned, dragging out the word before taking a sip of their wine.

“Her boyfriend sounds like an absolute dick. I mean… who the fuck tries to pressure their girlfriend into a threesome?” Chloe answered, snatching the bottle from Rachel and taking a sip for herself. “Do you remember that fucking creep… who tried to get us to fuck him just because we were…” she cut herself off, knowing she was dangerously close to the times she and Rachel would kiss when happily inebriated.

“I remember that! He just wouldn’t take no for an answer until Frank…” Rachel said and went silent herself. “I… I’m sorry.”

“Were you… already… back then?” Chloe asked. She placed the bottle on her lap and looked down at it, trying not to replay the memories in her head, wondering about all the times Rachel was with Frank.

“Not… then. No. It hadn’t happened, I was happy with you.”

Leaning back against the pillows, Chloe tried to make herself a little comfier despite the raging feelings of betrayal and mistrust she felt for the girl beside her. They’d skipped over those events because of the shit with Jefferson, because of Max needing them to be a unified front. But thinking about the time she’d spent with Rachel, the happy memories, now made her wonder just how many of them weren’t tainted by Frank Bowers or Mark Jefferson.

“I really made a mess of things,” Rachel said with a sigh, taking the bottle back and taking a couple of large gulps of the wine.

They remained silent in each others company as they shared the wine back and forth until they’d nearly run out. Without a word, Rachel climbed out of bed and left her bedroom for a short time, finally returning with another opened bottle of wine. Instead of walking around the bed, she stepped onto the edge as though to step over Chloe, but as she made the step her foot slipped on the edge of the bed. Rachel landed on top of her, awkwardly holding the bottle without spilling its contents.

They laughed at the sudden closeness they were sharing as Rachel tried to sit up, placing her legs either side of Chloe. She ended up straddling her like she had done so many times in the past, sitting back with the bottle between them.

“You’re a klutz,” Chloe said with a smirk as she took the new bottle from Rachel and had the first sip.

“Says you! I remember how many times we climbed into your bedroom through that window and you’d bang your head!”

“It was a small fucking window!”

“Uh-huh… and you’d complain like a fucking baby that your head hurt,” Rachel teased softly.

“It did, I was never joking about that.”

“Until I’d kiss it better, and you’d be like putty in my hands!”

“To be fair, we were usually high… or drunk…”

“Or both! But little Miss Price could never resist the pull of her hot actress friend.”

“You had healing kisses,” Chloe sniggered, her hands naturally going to Rachel’s hips and the shorts she wore to bed.

“I… should get off you now,” Rachel said, looking squarely into Chloe’s eyes.

“Might be safer…” Chloe responded, unable to look away herself. She had no idea why Rachel still had this pull over her, especially after the months of being with Max.

“Chloe…” Rachel whispered, sitting up as though to finally get off her. “I wish… I could turn back time and do it differently. But…”

“Why? What would you want to do differently?”

“I need to take a walk.” The girl suddenly said, climbing off Chloe and looking around the room for her clothes.

“Rach…” Chloe persisted again, trying to get her friend to talk to her, to open up.

“Would you like to come with me? Keep me safe in this dark and dangerous city?” Rachel whispered softly as she found a pair of jeans and started pulling them on.

“Yeah… okay, fine. But just to keep you safe and maybe get a fucking answer out of you!” Chloe groaned, throwing back the duvet and getting out of the bed.

She returned to the bedroom she shared with Max and quietly started finding her discarded clothes, trying to make as little noise as possible to wake the sleeping girl. When she was attired in a t-shirt, jeans and socks she left the room and found Rachel already waiting by the front door with her shoes and jacket on, and the wine bottle clutched in her hand.

“Probably shouldn’t go out with an open bottle of wine,” Chloe whispered as she slipped on her boots and jacket.

“You’re right… want some before we leave then?” Rachel said, offering the bottle to Chloe.

She took a quick sip from the bottle and placed it on the dining table before returning to Rachel, who was already halfway out the door. Chloe had no idea what was wrong with the girl, why she was so intent on running away into the night to walk the city streets when they could have stayed in bed drinking.

Rachel hooked her arm through Chloe’s as they walked together through the New York streets. At first Chloe didn’t know where the blonde was taking them, but as they entered Battery Park she understood the girl needed the space to look out away from the city.

“I am so fucking glad Vienne’s family rents a place so close to this park,” Rachel said, releasing Chloe’s arm and walking to the railing.

“I guess we’re lucky you both work for somebody so wealthy…” Chloe mused, leaning on the railing beside the blonde.

“Wouldn’t it be nice… having so much money? Not having to worry about where your next pay comes from?”

“Do you worry about that?”

“Everyday… I worry they’ll fire us, or we’ll be asked to quit for whatever reason… and then I worry you and Max will ask me to move out and…” The girl let out a soft sigh. “Nothing is certain anymore… I miss… I miss…”

“What?” Chloe asked, trying to understand.

“I miss the simplicity in Arcadia Bay. Not that shithole but…” Rachel went quiet again, her eyes taking on that deep intense focus.

“Talk to me, Rach… open up to me again,” Chloe pleaded. She turned to the girl and tried to take hold of her hand.

“I can’t.”

“You can, I’m never going anywhere. After everything I found out, all the shit we’ve all been through together, you can’t keep bottling this shit and expecting it to resolve.”

“Chloe…”

“Rach, just fucking talk to me. Like you used to do! Like when we were in San Francisco.”

“For fucks sake… Chloe, I can’t.” Rachel groaned, pulling her hand away and turning to leave.

“You can do anything you fucking want, have anything in the world and you’re going to walk away from me, again?” Chloe raised her voice, trying to get through to her friend despite the alcohol they’d both been drinking.

“You think that’s what I’m doing, Chloe Price? You think I’m leaving you?” Rachel retorted, turning to face her. Her hazel eyes contained that intense fire, the thing Max spent so many hours capturing in her photographs.

“You’re walking away, instead of talking to me… After everything that happened, all that shit and… and… you still won’t fucking tell me what’s wrong. We got into more shit…”

“Because I couldn’t tell you, because I can’t tell you, Chloe. I won’t be that fucking person!”

“What person?” Chloe persisted, hoping she would finally get the answer to what was bugging the girl before her.

“This is fucking pointless!” the girl groaned, leaning on the railing and looking out at the statue in the distance.

They stood in silence for a short time, listening to the water below and the noise of the city behind them. It was like an invisible wall was between them, even as Chloe leaned on the railing beside the person who had saved her life. She wanted to reach out and grasp the girl’s hand, to offer her comfort through whatever was troubling her, but she couldn’t do it. Rachel always needed time when she was this way, but it was quite clear something was truly troubling her.

Chloe was about to speak when Rachel finally spoke up.

“When we get back to LA… I’m going to start looking for a place of my own and move out…”

“What? Why?” Chloe asked, surprised by the sudden announcement.

“So you and Max can be that proper couple, without a third wheel.”

“You’re not a fucking third wheel! Rach… we already fucking told you, you’re part of our family. You’re our best fucking friend!” Chloe argued, already trying to think of ways to convince her friend to stay.

“I’ve made up my mind, Chloe… I need to walk away from…” The pause was noticeable, and it concerned Chloe more than anything. “I need time, to sort things out for myself.”

“Have you… started falling for Max?” Chloe asked, wondering if all of those times Rachel had kissed Max had started something for her.

“What?” Rachel said, frowning as she turned her head to look at Chloe.

“I’d… understand. You two spend a lot of fucking time together… and you were always giving her affection and kissing her…” she tried to smirk, tried to make it a joke and not a big thing.

“You are a fucking idiot sometimes…” The girl rolled her eyes and looked back out towards the water.

“Why? I don’t want you to fucking move out! It’s probably a phase, it’ll pass!”

“Just… fucking leave it alone, Chloe… just enjoy the view with me, stop trying to fix everything. You can’t, okay?”

“Yeah… right, fine…” Chloe mumbled walking a little away from the girl she’d spent four years of her life with.

She didn’t know what else to say or how else to argue her point. After all of the shit they had gone through together, it felt like a dull and horrible note to end their journey on. They’d travelled from the ravaged Arcadia Bay to Seattle with Max, and then from there to LA with a Max who had saved both of their lives. She paced along the railing as she tried to think of anything to say to Rachel to change her mind, to stop this end from coming but there was nothing she could think of.

Giving up, she leaned on the railing and absently stared out at the Statue of Liberty. She wanted to scream and shout into the night, wanted to grab Rachel by the shoulders and shout some sense into her. That together there was nothing they couldn’t all work through. She felt the first tear start to trickle down her cheek and wiped it away quickly, not wanting Rachel to see her cry over something so trivial.

Part of her wanted to run back to the apartment and wrap herself in Max’s embrace, to lose herself in her partner’s love and forget the pain in her chest existed. It felt like she’d been rejected, but she couldn’t understand that or even process it.

Another tear ran down her face, she hadn’t realised how much she’d quietly been crying and looking out on the world with blurred vision. She was about to wipe the tear away when she felt Rachel’s hand on her face, turning her to look into the girl’s hazel eyes.

She frowned, trying to understand why the girl cared so much when she’s just announced she was moving out. There were no answers Rachel was willing to share, but she wiped the tears away with the cuff of her jacket. 

“Chloe…” Rachel whispered softly. “I can’t be that person…”

“Which person?” she asked through clenched teeth, trying to control the conflicting emotions she was feeling.

“The one who… the one who wrecks her best friend’s life…” The pause was once again noticeable, and Chloe didn’t like it.

“You’ve only made it better… obviously I missed you enough if another me begged Max to break the timeline to save you… how is that wrecking my life?” Chloe asked, about to wipe another tear away when Rachel caught it for her.

“That isn’t what I meant…” the girl responded as she wiped a tear from her own eyes.

“Then just fucking tell me…” Chloe growled, tired of speaking in riddles.

“I…” Rachel faltered and started to pull away when Chloe caught her wrist, trying to stop her.

Rachel’s hand went to Chloe’s cheek and wiped a tear away, while she placed her own on the blonde girl’s cheek to return that sweet affection. She still didn’t understand what was wrong, but she was trying to be the friend Rachel had been for her. It was a strange thing to watch the model, who was always so full of life and energy, suddenly break down in tears. She wrapped her arms around Chloe and started crying into her shoulder, taking her a little by surprise.

“I can’t… I can’t be the person who watches the person I love with somebody else…” she sobbed quietly.

Realisation dawned in Chloe’s mind, she understood just how deeply Rachel’s emotions ran. Closing her eyes, she tightened her grip on her best friend and held her as the beautiful girl broke down in more tears.

“I can’t be the person to ruin Max’s life… no matter how much I love you… no matter how much I want you… what kind of friend would I be if I did that to her?” Rachel said, muffled by Chloe’s jacket.  “She saved my fucking life… but it feels like one big joke, because… because…”

“Because…”

“What the fuck am I living for? A job? To accomplish some fucking dream with nobody to share it with?”

“You…”

“Don’t…” Rachel growled as she pulled away slightly. “Don’t tell me I could meet somebody… I don’t want a somebody. I want… I want you… I want what I can’t fucking have and it is killing me!”

Chloe let out a gentle sigh as Rachel embraced her tightly once more. She could feel the tears on her own cheeks, trickling down onto Rachel’s shoulder. She thought after their conversation in San Francisco everything would be okay, but it had merely pushed it under the surface. Her best friend, her angel, was in pain and there was nothing she could do to fix it.


End file.
